A British rugby coach has drowned at a beach in south-west France after a powerful wave struck him on the spine while he was swimming.
The North Midlands Rugby Football Union issued a statement on Facebook about what it described as the tragic, sudden death of Rob Walton, 36, a Rugby Lions player and coach, who was a former lock for Birmingham and Solihull RFC.
The father of four had been on holiday with his family at a campsite in Labenne, on the Atlantic coast north of Biarritz.
Gendarmes at Mont-de-Marsan said he had been hit on the spine while swimming in the sea and suffered a form of whiplash when he was caught up in a large wave.
A swimmer at the beach raised the alarm at about 1:45pm on Monday when a body was seen floating in the shallows of an area that was under lifeguard surveillance, according to thenewspaper SudOuest.
Lifeguards and emergency services tried for nearly an hour to resuscitate Walton, SudOuest said, but he was already in an advanced state of drowning when he was spotted.
A doctor at the scene told the paper he could have been dragged underwater by a particularly powerful wave.
Walton began his career at Hinckley RFC in Leicestershire. In 2001 he moved to play for Shirley RFC in Christchurch, New Zealand. From 2008, he played for Coventry RFC.
In a statement, Rugby Lions club paid tribute to Walton, who was known to his friends as Yoghurt. “It is with great sadness to announce the death of Lions Head Coach and friend Rob Walton who passed away yesterday whilst on holiday in France with his family.
“Yoghurt was instrumental in the rebuilding of Lions and his hard work, determination and sense of humour will be sadly missed by us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this sad time.
“He may have passed away but he will not be forgotten. Once a Lion, always a Lion.”
