French rugby membership US Montauban showed the 32-year-old back-row ahead had now not survived the autumn into the river Tarn within the early hours of Saturday morning, in spite of the efforts of a teammate to save lots of him.
The membership stated Meafua’s Montauban teammate attempted to resuscitate and save him however needed to be rescued via firefighters himself. He was once hospitalized with hypothermia and discharged tomorrow.
“The entire USM Sapiac membership are surprised via this tragedy, and all ideas are along with his spouse, his kids, his teammates, and extra typically, the entire loving supporters of the membership,” the commentary persevered.
The message, translated from French, additionally paid tribute to Meafua as a participant “preferred via all, his cheerfulness was once communicative and radiant.”
“Nowadays we have now misplaced a participant, a chum, a brother,” it added of the previous Samoan Sevens famous person.
Jean-Baptiste Fourcade, a spokesman for US Montauban, informed CNN on Monday that the Montauban prosecutor has opened an investigation into Meafua’s loss of life, including that officers are taking a look at it as a “tragedy” and now not “a nasty finishing to a birthday party.”
After shifting to France in 2015, the Father or mother reported, Meafu performed for French second-division groups Béziers and Narbonne.
