Son of ex-Chelsea player dies after fatal UAE desert hike

The son of former Chelsea player Eddie Newton has died during a desert hike in the United Arab Emirates after his wife had urged him not to go, an inquest has heard.

As reported by BBC News on Friday, Cassius Newton, 34, was found dead in the mountainous Wadi Naqab region of the UAE on July 18, hours after he last spoke to his wife.

His friend, Aran Martinson, also died during the hike after the pair set off at about 07:00 local time.

Newton had called his wife at about 02:00 to tell her about their planned hike, but she asked him not to go because of the expected heat.

Area coroner Michelle Brown told Essex Coroner’s Court that temperatures in the area could reach about 40C and feel even hotter inside the canyons.

Newton had also been out the previous night, while his wife was concerned that he had not had enough sleep or charged his phone sufficiently.

The wives of both men eventually contacted authorities after they failed to hear from them for several hours, prompting a rescue operation.

The pair were found between 3km and 4km from where they had parked, with their bodies about 350 metres apart.

Both men were taken to hospital in Ras Al Khaimah but were pronounced dead later that day.

Brown ruled that their deaths were the result of misadventure, describing the incident as “an intentional trip with unintended consequences”.

She said both men died after their body temperatures rose severely, leading to organ failure.

The court heard that the route was a recreational hike on a designated trail and normally took about four hours to complete.

Newton, originally from Poole, and Martinson had both recently moved to Ras Al Khaimah, where they met through their work at a global company.

Eddie Newton, who played for Chelsea before going on to have two spells as the club’s assistant manager, travelled to the UAE to identify his son’s body.

Chelsea had earlier expressed its devastation over Cassius Newton’s death. He had also previously been part of the club’s academy.

Messages between Martinson and his wife were also read during the inquest. At 09:26, she wrote: “You must be cooking.”

After several more hours without hearing from him, she sent another message expressing her distress.

Martin­son’s wife later paid tribute to him online, describing him as “incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious”.