Death of Hyron Andrews: autopsy results confirm natural death of the South African player

Hyron Andrews, South African second row of the Lions franchise based in Johannesburg, died on Friday in his hotel on the Ile de Ré, on the eve of a Champions Cup match against La Rochelle. The 31-year-old second-rower was found in cardio-respiratory arrest in the hotel on the Île de Ré (west) where his franchise was staying, in a shower cubicle closed from the inside. The public prosecutor of La Rochelle, Arnaud Laraize, confirmed to Le Figaro that an investigation into the causes of death had been opened, adding that the hypothesis of an accidental death was favored.

The results of the autopsy are now known. Hyron Andrews died following an aortic dissection, “a tear in the aorta (of natural origin) leading to a significant accumulation of blood in the sac surrounding the heart,” explains a press release relayed by ICI La Rochelle. The player's body is being repatriated to South Africa, our colleagues add. “Additional investigations”, particularly toxicological, are underway.