Gold Coast star AJ Brimson has revealed additional heartbreaking particulars surrounding the dying of his shut buddy Liam Hampson final month.
The Queensland rugby league participant had not been seen for 30 hours after disappearing whereas partying with a bunch of NRL gamers, together with Brimson and Broncos star Jodan Riki, in Barcelona three weeks in the past.
Chilling CCTV footage captured the ultimate moments of Hampson’s life after he appeared to get misplaced, having walked by way of a safety exit. Spanish police have mentioned he fell 10m to his dying after scaling a 1.5m wall.
Horrified membership workers discovered Hampson’s lifeless physique on the backside of a gap in an outdoor space.
Hampson’s physique has been launched to his household. His funeral service which shall be held at Dolphins Stadium in Redcliffe on Monday.
Talking forward of the traumatic event, Brimson has informed The Courier-Mail of essentially the most “heartbreaking” facet he’s nonetheless coming to phrases with.
“There’s been so many occasions already the place I’ve gone to message him … that’s been essentially the most heartbreaking factor,” Brimson mentioned.
We are able to by no means do these issues collectively or share them anymore. He was decided along with his footy but additionally a contented man. He was by no means burdened.
“We lived collectively for 4 years and bickered and sooked like brothers, however when he moved out I saved asking him each weekend to maneuver again in. He was such a great mate.
“I’m going to overlook him like loopy. We’ve received a decent bunch of boys and he was certainly one of my finest mates. I’m going to overlook him loads.”
Brimson has additionally revealed gut-wrenching particulars in regards to the group of rugby league gamers’ determined seek for Hampson in Barcelona after the 24-year-old didn’t return from their late-night on the Apolo nightclub.
Brimson mentioned it was not in Hampson’s nature to not fail to examine in along with his mates if he didn’t return to the resort they have been all staying at collectively.
He mentioned he first suspected Hampson had left the membership with a woman, however quickly had fears for his buddy’s wellbeing when he didn’t examine in with the group later that day.
Brimson mentioned he feared Hampson might have been murdered.
“That’s once we began going to police stations and embassies and from then on it was continuous till we came upon what occurred,” he mentioned.
“I knew what he was like and he wasn’t the kind of man that wouldn’t message us, however it was arduous to get that throughout to the police. It was irritating.
“We have been making an attempt to inform the police one thing was incorrect they usually have been saying, ‘We see this on a regular basis, individuals go lacking however they’re simply with a woman or one thing’.
“I knew that wasn’t Liam in any respect. We knew one thing was very incorrect by Tuesday night time.
“At worst he would have messaged us. If he received mugged he would have discovered his method again. I believed he had been murdered.
“We knew it wasn’t good, however simply hoped he was all proper someplace. We walked the identical route dwelling looking for one thing, something.
“We went again to the membership at about 5pm to try to get footage to see who he left with and when, however they wouldn’t allow us to see it earlier than the cops.
“It’s bizarre to assume we have been outdoors the membership and he was in there, however we had no method of realizing that.”
He mentioned police ultimately received in touch they usually have been despatched to a police station the place they got the tragic information.
“By that stage, we knew it wasn’t good. They might have despatched us wherever he was if he was OK. Then the social employees began to reach they usually informed us (he was lifeless) by way of a translator. You may’t actually clarify it. It was simply disbelief. I felt like I used to be going to be sick. You by no means assume that’s going to occur.
“It made sense as a result of he simply vanished. We didn’t keep in mind him being outdoors the membership or something and that’s as a result of he by no means left.”
Hampson attended Keebra Park State Excessive College on the Gold Coast with Brimson earlier than the pair performed their junior rugby league collectively on the Tweed Seagulls.
Whereas Brimson moved on to the Titans, Hampson moved to the Redcliffe Dolphins in Queensland’s home rugby league competitors the place he performed as a hooker.
He had performed in 37 video games for Redcliffe, scoring 9 tries.
Brimson says he’s dedicating the remainder of his profession to Hampson.
