Samoa rugby player Kelly Mehua falls from a French bridge and dies

French rugby club US Montauban confirmed that a 32-year-old Bucklow Forward did not survive the fall to the Tarn river early Saturday morning, despite his teammates’ efforts to save him. ..

The club said that Meafua’s Montauban teammate tried to revive and save him, but had to be rescued by the firefighters themselves. He was hospitalized for hypothermia and was discharged the next day.

“All USM Sapiac clubs are shocked by this tragedy, and all ideas are in his wife, his children, his teammates, and more generally all the affectionate supporters of the club.” The statement continued.

The message translated from French also paid tribute to Mehua as a player, “thanks to everyone, his cheerfulness shined with communication and brilliance.”

“Today we have lost players, friends and brothers,” added a former Samoa Seventh star.

US Montauban spokesman Jean-Baptiste Fourcade told CNN on Monday that Montauban prosecutors have begun investigating Meafua’s death, and authorities see it as a “tragedy” rather than a “bad party ending.” He added that he was.

according to Parents, Meafu moved to New Zealand as a teenager. He enjoyed stints at Otafufu and Auckland Sevens under the age of 21 before moving to Sydney to play at West Harbor and Greater Sydney Rams.

The Guardian reported that after moving to France in 2015, he played for the second French team, Beziers and Narbonne.