A 17-year-old surfer, Taika Cleland-Pottie, has died after being hit by a car on the Cunningham Highway at Clumber, southwest of Brisbane, on Friday evening. The teenager, from Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, was a member of Kirra Surfriders, the club that launched the careers of surfing greats including Mick Fanning and Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, and his death has prompted an outpouring of grief from the surfing community.

The incident occurred at about 6.20pm when a white Toyota Yaris, driven by a 48-year-old woman who was uninjured, struck Cleland-Pottie. His mother, Lina Marsh, confirmed his death in a Facebook post, describing him as her "golden boy", and said he would be farewelled on the Gold Coast. Kirra Surfriders paid tribute to him as a "fast improving surfer" and a kind, respectful young person, and plans to hold a traditional mass paddle-out in his memory, while his aunt has launched a GoFundMe to help bring family members to Australia for the funeral.