An Australian rugby league player has been found dead in Spain after going missing on a night out with friends.
Liam Hampson’s body was found after apparently collapsing on the floor of a Barcelona nightclub, local media reported.
He was traveling in Europe with a group, including National Rugby League (NRL) players, who reported him missing.
The 24-year-old’s family say they are “heartbroken” by his death, which they have described as an accident.
Mr Hampson played in the Queensland Cup for the Radcliffe Dolphins, a team that will enter Australia’s top-tier NRL next season.
His family said on social media that he had become separated from his friends while leaving the Sala Apollo nightclub in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time.
After not being seen for more than 24 hours, relatives appealed for help in finding him.
Barcelona police say Mr Hampson’s body was found by employees around midday on Wednesday, the Brisbane Times reported.
Officers believe Mr Hampson accidentally fell from a height of around 10 metres, the report said.
Mr Hampson’s father Brett said the family was devastated.
“Liam had a heart of gold… Words cannot express our grief,” she wrote on social media.
The family said their thoughts were with the group of friends traveling with Mr Hampson – which included several top athletes – who had searched for him.
“[You] made sure her last days were the best of her life,” said her sister, Tierna Hampson.
Mr Hampson began his semi-professional career with the Tweed Seagulls in 2019 before joining the Dolphins this year.
