Tributes paid to teen rugby player who fell to his death on Spain trip

22 October 2019, 12:37

Tributes have been paid to a 15-year-old rugby player who died in a fall on a school exchange trip to Spain.

Max McMullen, who attended Beechen Cliff School in Bath, died in the "tragic incident" while in Cordoba, southern Spain.

According to local media reports he is thought to have fallen seven floors while trying to fix a blind.

The Bath Rugby Academy player fell from a window in a block of flats on the evening of October 20 during the trip, which was taking place between October 17 and October 24.

His club paid tribute to the Year 11 teen, saying he was a “popular member” of the group.

A statement said: “It is with heartfelt sadness we share the news that Max McMullen, a young man who is in our Academy tragically passed away this weekend. Our thoughts are with Max’s family and friends at this deeply sad time.

“Max joined the Academy last season as an U15 having spent time previously in our Developing Player Programme here in Bath.

“He was a popular member of our Academy group, a young man that we saw develop both on and off the field during his time with us. He was a truly promising young player whose love for the game was clear for us all to see.

“We feel lucky as a club to have been able to support Max on his rugby journey in recent seasons, and this news is something that everyone in the Academy feels deep sadness about.

“As a club we will do all we can to support Max’s family and teammates both now and in the future.

“Max was a huge part of our academy and he will always be a part of our Club.”

Friends flooded to Max's Instagram to pay tribute, with his cousin Sam saying he was "the best and kindest cousin anyone could’ve ever had."

A police spokesman in Cordoba told The Times there “doesn’t appear to be any signs of criminality or evidence pointing to the involvement of anyone else.”

Alun Williams, chief executive of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, said: "It has been reported to the school and the trust that a tragic incident has occurred during a school exchange visit.

"At this point we do not have any further details and we are working closely with the local authority and other authorities.

"Further to our statement yesterday, neither Beechen Cliff School or the British police have received any further factual information from the Spanish authorities in relation to the tragic death of a Year 11 pupil.

"Clearly our thoughts are with the family and friends of the pupil concerned."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman added: "We are supporting the family of a British teenager following his death in Cordoba in Spain."