Ex-Chelsea Player’s Son Dies During UAE Desert Hike In Extreme Heat | Sahara Reporters

According to the BBC, Newton, 34, was found dead in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region of the UAE on July 18, alongside his friend, Aran Martinson, from Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire.

Cassius Newton, son of former Chelsea midfielder Eddie Newton, died during a desert hike in the United Arab Emirates after he and his friend became stranded in extreme heat, an inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court heard.

According to the BBC, Newton, 34, was found dead in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region of the UAE on July 18, alongside his friend, Aran Martinson, from Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire.

The pair had set out at about 7am local time, with rescue teams later finding their bodies several kilometres from where they had parked.

Area coroner Michelle Brown ruled that the deaths were the result of misadventure. She said the men had deliberately gone on the hike but suffered fatal consequences from the conditions.

“This was an intentional trip with unintended consequences,” Brown said during the inquest.

Newton had called his wife at about 2am to tell her about the planned hike, but she urged him not to go because of the expected heat. The coroner said temperatures in the area could reach about 40C and feel even hotter inside the canyons.

The court heard that Newton had also been out the previous night and his wife was concerned that he had not had enough sleep or adequately charged his phone before setting out.

Martinson’s wife also became worried after losing contact with him. Text messages read to the court showed that she sent him a message at 9:26am saying, “You must be cooking,” before later expressing concern when he remained unreachable.

The wives of both men eventually contacted authorities, prompting a rescue operation. Search teams found the bodies between 3km and 4km from their parked vehicle, with the two men lying about 350 metres apart among large rocks.

Newton and Martinson were taken to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah but were pronounced dead later that day. Brown said both men died after their body temperatures rose severely, causing organ failure.

The coroner described the route as a recreational hike that normally took about four hours and did not require specialist equipment. She also said Eddie Newton travelled to the UAE to identify his son’s body.

Newton, who was originally from Poole, was the son of the former Chelsea player and assistant manager. Eddie Newton played for Chelsea before later serving two spells as an assistant manager at the club.

Chelsea had earlier expressed its grief over Cassius Newton’s death, noting that he had previously been part of the club’s academy.

The two men had recently moved to Ras Al Khaimah, a resort city in the north-east of Dubai, where they lived and had met through their work at a global company.

The inquest heard that an earlier account had put temperatures in the desert at 50C, but Brown said the temperature had been about 40C when the men died.