Two Wilmot footballers died after taking methamphetamine (ice) during separate football games, a coroner has found.
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Reports released on Friday detail the facts behind the deaths of Tyler John Broomhall and Paul Marcus White.
Mr Broomhall, 23, received a heavy knock during a game on April 13, 2013. He had received a minor head injury at work four to six weeks before his death, but had not sought medical attention. He was taken to the North West Regional Hospital by ambulance at 5.05pm, where he was treated for a heart muscle injury and later discharged.
Blood tests at the hospital revealed Mr Broomhall had taken ice, and his mother and girlfriend were told by one of his friends that he had taken the drug at half time.
Mr Broomhall was admitted to the Mersey Community Hospital at 10.30pm that same day. A CT scan the next morning showed a large frontal lobe haemorrhage and he was transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
On April 20, Mr Broomhall passed away after suffering an intracranial hypertension (pressure around the brain).
Dr Christopher Lawrence performed the autopsy and cited the cause of death as “intra-cerebral haemorrhage following methamphetamine use”.
In strikingly similar circumstances, 42-year-old Mr White was playing for Wilmot on June 21, 2014.
During the second quarter, Mr White may have received a knock. He later complained of a hamstring strain and was sent to the rooms to rest.
Half-time was called and the rest of the team returned to the rooms, where a teammate found Mr White lying naked on his back in a shower cubicle.
CPR was performed on Mr White, before paramedics arrived and administered medication. He died at the ground. Coroner Olivia McTaggart’s report states a syringe was located in Mr White’s backpack.
State forensic pathologist Dr Chris Lawrence concluded Mr White died as a result of the combined effect of ischaemic heart disease and methamphetamine intoxication.