CCTV reveals chilling final moments before Aussie was mysteriously found dead inside the bathroom of his Bali immigration detention cell

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and CANDACE SUTTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 16:00, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 16:29, 15 July 2026 Bali police have shared CCTV footage of an Australian man's final moments before he was found dead inside the bathroom of an Indonesian immigration detention cell. Cameron James Michael Hughes, 39, was detained last Friday, July 10, after authorities learnt he had overstayed his tourist visa by 98 days. Originally a panel beater from Perth, Mr Hughes had lived in Bali for 15 years and had recently separated from his wife, with whom he had an eight-year-old son.  Immigration officials took the vintage car restorer from his home in Jimbaran, south of Kuta, to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office near Bali's international airport, 3km away. Mr Hughes was placed in a detention room to await deportation and was subject to frequent detainee checks and CCTV monitoring. Officers on Wednesday shared some of the CCTV footage captured of Mr Hughes shortly before his death. The video showed Australian pacing the room and briefly picking up what appeared to be a water bottle before setting it down, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.  Police spokesman, Senior Commander Ariasandy, said the investigation into Mr Hughes' death is ongoing. Bali Police shared CCTV of Cameron James Michael Hughes in his cell (above) shortly before he died Cameron James Michael Hughes (above) is believed to have taken his own life while in custody last Friday, July 10 Investigators believe Mr Hughes harmed himself at 5.25pm. 'At that time, the immigration officer who guards the detention facility conducted checks one by one,' Ariasandy said. 'When doing checking, the guard found it suspicious as the Australian, Cameron James Michael Hughes, was in toilet for quite long period. 'At 5.30pm, the guard checked the toilet.' Inside he was greeted by the grim sight of Mr Hughes with a towel 'entangled' around his neck and secured to a tap. 'At 5.32pm, the immigration officer contacted the hospital to get an ambulance.' The officer attempted to resuscitate Mr Hughes until paramedics arrived at 6.14pm. Mr Hughes was still breathing at that point and was rushed to hospital, where he sadly died at 6.47pm.  'The investigation is ongoing but our initial investigation alleged there is no foul play,' Ariasandy said. An immigration officer reportedly found Mr Hughes unconscious in the bathroom of his cell (above)  The family of Mr Hughes (pictured with his sisters) were 'devastated' by the news of his death An autopsy of Mr Hughes body was complete on Wednesday, but the results have not been made public yet. His family said it was 'broken' by the news of his death and told the ABC they had received conflicting information about the circumstances. They are now seeking more details on how he was detained and what happened while he was being held. 'Cameron was a beautiful person who loved his family deeply and was a devoted father,' his family said in a statement. 'He was resilient, hardworking and proud of overcoming challenges to build a good life.' The family said he had been navigating Indonesia's immigration system, trying to extend his visa to be able to stay close to his son.  They said he had been in regular contact with Bali immigration authorities to clarify Mr Hughes' status, and denied suggestions he failed to cooperate with officials. 'We will be working closely with consular staff to understand what actually happened, and work with them to understand the full extent of the situation,' the family said. Help is available. For free and confidential counselling 24/7, contact: Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.