Stuart Diver Thriving thanks to Alessia 20 years on
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Thredbo disaster, Stuart Diver reveals how fatherhood rescued him
With the stunning Snowy Mountains blanketed in white, Stuart Diver and his gorgeous daughter Alessia are in their element, sharing in the joy of a winter wonderland.
And this week, as the nation marks the 20th anniversary of one of our worst-ever natural disasters, Stuart again put on a brave face to show us all that he continues to survive – and even flourish – thanks to the love of his little girl.
Stuart was the sole survivor of the Thredbo landslide disaster on July 30, 1997, which robbed him of his first wife, Sally, who perished alongside 17 others. Rescued after 65 hours buried alive, he was later given a second chance at love when he met Rosanna Cossettini.
Sadly, just over two years ago, he and Alessia, the daughter they thought they’d never have, lost Rosanna after a 10-year battle with breast cancer in another cruel blow.
While some would struggle to carry on, Stuart, 47, is quite simply made of the stuff that inspires awe in those around him. He survived for almost three days lying next to the body of Sally, trapped beneath 3000 tonnes of rubble. The image of his exhausted face as he was finally released is etched in the memories of many Australians.
Stuart found happiness again with Rosanna, only to discover she had breast cancer just a week after their honeymoon. They thought their plans to start a family were doomed, yet Rosanna soon fell pregnant with Alessia in what many thought was nothing short of a miracle. Then, just a couple of years later, he lost Rosanna to the disease.
“I don’t think you can go through a trauma like that and not have it haunt you at times,” explains Stuart, who helped Rosanna prepare a chest of beautiful mementos for six-year-old Alessia, including birthday cards for many years to come, ahead of her death.
“To see something created by both of you is one of the most moving experiences you can have,” he says of parenthood. “If Alessia can have half the life I’ve had, then I think we’ve been good parents.”
‘To see something created by both of you is moving’