Two British friends, including the son of former Chelsea footballer Eddie Newton, died in the United Arab Emirates after hiking on a day when temperatures surpassed 40C, an inquest has heard.
Cassius Newton, 34, from Poole in Dorset, and Aran Martinson, 33, from Essex, both died on July 18. Both were living in Ras Al Khaimah, having moved there for work. Mr Newton was the son of Eddie Newton, who played for Chelsea in the 1990s.
Club tribute and inquest opening
In a tribute posted on X on Friday, Chelsea said: "Chelsea Football Club is devastated to learn of the passing of former Academy player Cassius Newton, son of our former player and coach Eddie. Our thoughts are with Cassius’ family and friends during this incredibly difficult time."
Inquests into the two deaths were opened separately in Chelmsford on Thursday. Essex area coroner Michelle Brown said Mr Newton "decided to go for a hike with a friend in the morning, about 7am" at Wadi Naqab, a desert valley.
Search and discovery
"His wife expressed concerns as she hadn’t heard from him - she being in the UK - and reported him missing," the coroner said. "It appears they had gone on a route that's a recreational route, not needing hiking equipment."
The inquest heard temperatures would have reached more than 40C. "Mr Newton was found by a search team approximately three or four kilometres from the vehicle," said Ms Brown.
She described the area as a "wholly mountainous region" and said Mr Newton was "found lying on his back with rocks surrounding him", about "350 metres away from his friend". He was taken to hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, where his death was confirmed later that day.
Cause of death and further proceedings
The provisional medical cause of death for both men was recorded as cardiac and respiratory arrest due to a severely elevated body temperature and heat stress caused by exposure to high temperatures.
Opening the inquest into Mr Martinson's death separately, Ms Brown said he was "working for a global company and staying in the UAE". He went for a hike at about 7am on July 18 and was found by a search team deployed after his friend was reported missing. "He was found lying on the left side of the road with rocks surrounding him," the coroner said.
He was taken to hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, where his death was confirmed later on July 18. Ms Brown adjourned both inquests until a date to be fixed, saying they were likely to proceed as documentary hearings with evidence coming entirely from written materials.
