ACT Brumbies rocked by teammate’s death

SYDNEY – ACT Brumbies forward Shawn Mackay died in a Durban hospital early yesterday just over a week after he was hit by a car, team officials said, plunging the Australian rugby club into mourning.

Mackay, 26, died at about after a cardiac arrest, a spokesman for the Brumbies said.
He had been in hospital, critically ill with multiple injuries, since March 29 when he was struck by an armed response car in a street in Durban while on the Canberra-based Brumbies’ Super 14 tour of South Africa.
Team officials said Mackay had shown positive signs after being brought out of a medically induced coma late last week, and underwent surgery.
‘After his surgery Shawn contracted an infection in his bloodstream,’ said the Brumbies’ chief executive, Andrew Fagan.
‘He deteriorated rapidly and suffered a cardiac arrest from which he didn’t recover,’ he added. ‘It’s devastating news for his family, and for all of the Brumbies community.’
Fagan said Mackay had developed an infection a couple of days ago which was being treated with antibiotics.
The accident occurred at around 04h15 local time when Mackay and several Brumbies’ teammates were leavinag a nightclub after their Super 14 loss to the Coastal Sharks the previous evening.
Mackay was admitted to hospital in Durban with a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, a fractured skull, a broken leg and multiple facial fractures after being struck by the vehicle.
Coach Andy Friend, who was informed of Mackay’s death during the Brumbies’ flight home from South Africa yesterday, had the difficult task of breaking the news to the players when they arrived in Sydney.
– Nampa-AFP