While Brumbies lock forward Shawn Mackay was battling for his life in hospital, someone was looting his team-mates’ Durban hotel rooms. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Jay Naicker has meanwhile confirmed that laptops and cellphones were stolen from a Durban hotel room where some of the Brumbies rugby players were staying...
Australian Super 14 rugby union player, 26-year-old forward Mackay, a victim of a hit-and-run, died in a Durban hospital just over a week after suffering multiple injuries when he was hit by an armed response car in a Durban street..
BRUMBIES coach Andy Friend had the difficult task of breaking the news of Shawn Mackay's death to his teammates when they landed in Sydney this afternoon.
"It is the worst possible news," Friend said.
"We are all in shock and we have taken the news very, very hard.
"When we left South Africa we all hoped that Macca would recover quickly and would be joining us home in a matter of weeks.
"To hear that the blood infection has led to a cardiac arrest and has taken his life is very hard for us to reconcile.
"He had the respect of everybody at the Brumbies and everybody in Australian rugby.
"His passing is a tragedy.
Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill, who came to know Mackay last year when the back row forward captained the Australian sevens team, described him as a larger-than-life character and a fine young man and great bloke.
"A great leader and a great mentor and a very fine person, struck down far too young."
Mackay had shown some positive signs after being brought out of a medically induced coma late last week and underwent surgery.
"After his surgery Shawn contracted an infection in his bloodstream," said Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan.
"He deteriorated rapidly and suffered a cardiac arrest from which he didn't recover."
Mackay had been admitted to St Augustine's hospital in Durban with a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, a fractured skull as well as a broken leg and multiple facial fractures after being struck by the vehicle.
The incident occurred about 4.15am Durban time when Mackay and a number of other Brumbies were leaving a nightclub, having wound down after their Super 14 loss to the Sharks the previous evening.
Mackay's parents, John and Leonie, and girlfriend Trish flew to South Africa on Tuesday to be by his side.
The Brumbies were flying back to Australia on Monday after completing their three-match trip to South Africa with a win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein at the weekend.
Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan Fagan said Mackay picked up an infection a couple of days ago which was being treated with antibiotics.
"However, those antibiotics were failing to do the job and the doctors were unable to identify the source of the infection," he said, adding it led to a rapid deterioration of Mackay's condition in the last 12 hours.
"It's been a shock."
0 comments:
Post a Comment