Ex-Chelsea star’s son dies during desert hike in UAE

The son of former Chelsea midfielder Eddie Newton has died during a desert hike in the United Arab Emirates, an inquest has revealed. Cassius Newton, 34, was discovered dead in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region of the UAE on July 18, hours after his last communication with his wife. His friend, Aran Martinson, also perished during the same hike.

Essex Coroner's Court heard that Newton had called his wife during their planned hike at around 2:00 AM, informing her of their decision. However, his wife urged him not to go due to the extreme heat, which could reach up to 40C in the canyons. Despite her concerns, Newton proceeded with the hike. Coroner Michelle Brown noted that Newton may not have had enough sleep or charged his phone adequately from the previous night.

Rescue operations were initiated when the men's wives failed to contact them for several hours, leading to the discovery of their bodies between 3km and 4km from where their vehicle had been parked. Both men were found on their backs near large rocks and were taken to a hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, where they were pronounced dead.

The inquest concluded that the deaths were caused by misadventure, with Brown stating that the incident was an unintentional trip with unforeseen consequences. The route was a recreational hike that typically took about four hours, requiring no specialized equipment. Text messages between Martinson and his wife, exchanged throughout the day, were presented in court.

After waiting for several hours without a response, Martinson's wife wrote, "You must be cooking." When she did not receive a reply again, she added, "You are actually trying to tip me over the edge I swear." Brown determined that both men died from severe increases in body temperature, leading to organ failure. Eddie Newton, originally from Poole, had recently relocated to Ras Al Khaimah, where he lived with his wife.

Martinson had also recently moved to the UAE. Eddie Newton traveled to the UAE to identify his son's body, with Chelsea expressing their devastation over Cassius Newton's death. Martinson's wife paid tribute to him, describing him as "incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious."