A tragic timeline of events surrounding the death of a rising Australian rugby league player in a Barcelona club surfaced a few months ago. Today, we’re going to examine what happened to Liam Hampson. The 24-year-old Redcliffe Dolphins player’s death shocked the entire Australian rugby community, fans, fellow club members and the directors of the organized game expressed their deepest sympathies to his family.
What exactly happened to this promising rugby star, whose life suddenly ended on the other side of the world in the most unusual of circumstances? This horrifying piece of news is a reminder of how ephemeral life and impulsive choices can be when we’re in a nightclub.
As such, let’s put Liam Hampson’s life in the spotlight and try to make sense of what happened to him. Wherever you are now Liam, may you rest in peace, you are dearly missed, lad.
Liam Thompson’s Last Days
Liam Thompson was 24 years old at the time of his death, he played for Queensland side Redcliffe Dolphins and was having a traveling party vacation with his friends Jesse Arthars, Gold Coast Fullback AJ Brimson, and Jesse Arthars. He’d visited Paris, Germany, and was planning on going to the Mediterranean beaches as part of his vacation with his friends.
Liam and his friends went to the other side of the world, to the sunny, warm Mediterranean to kick off some fun days in Barcelona, Spain, a city known for its good nightlife, culture, and amazing party scene. When going to a popular nightclub, Liam said to his buddies that he was going to take a toilet break, but he never returned and went missing for thirty hours.
Then, the piece of tragic news struck when he was found dead in an alley adjacent to the Sala Apolo nightclub club he was partying with his friends.
What Happened To Liam Hampson?
While partying in a Barcelona nightclub, Queensland rugby player Liam Hampson plunged ten meters after becoming —reportedly— locked out of the club. At the time, Hampson was caught by CCTV exiting the nightclub through an emergency door to go for a toilet break, only to find himself locked out, this was reported by the Catalan press after inquiring with the local police and fire department.
Liam told his buddies he was taking that toilet break, and the CCTV footage catches him moving from the dance hall, up to a door, the door shuts, and goes to a large outdoor terrace. He does his business and finds out that he’s locked out. Then, without thinking jumps a two-meter wall.
Finding himself locked out, Liam tried to scale a wall of an adjoining building and fell down ten meters through a duct gap to his death. He was found a day after when a back alley cleaner heard his phone ring, followed the sound, and found Hampson’s lifeless body in an internal patio that wasn’t part of the Apolo nightclub.
Liam lived his life being happy, he was on vacation and was having fun, when he passed away, his family expressed that they were happy that Liam spent his last days doing what he liked, that he was a joyful lad, and thanked those who spent his last moments with him.
Hampson’s Death Ruled A Tragic Accident
Spanish authorities and the Apolo club management coincide in that Hampson’s death was a tragic accident that took place when he tried to scale a wall in plain darkness, not being aware of the ten-meter gap from which he fell. His death was shocking for the entire rugby community, his colleagues at Redcliffe, his traveling buddies, and the entire organized game.
Liam’s character was a very high-spirited and kind one. His death reminds us of how bad decisions during parties in which our judgment isn’t at its best can have terrible consequences. Once again, wherever you are now Liam, you are missed, you were a great rugby player, and your career was stopped short because of an unfortunate accident.
