Family and friends are paying tribute to rugby player from NSW’s Central Coast who died while on holiday in Bali last weekend under tragic circumstances.
Will Thurston, a 27-year-old Bay Vikings player, passed away while recovering from a pancreatic abscess in an Indonesian hospital during what is understood to have been an episode of septic shock in the early hours of Sunday.
In a Facebook post later that morning, family member Ashlee Maree said that Thurston “took his last breath at 2.04am, in the place he loved most.”
“We love you Will, Forever 27,” she said.
In a tribute post on Facebook, the Bay Rugby Club described Thurston as “one of the most loyal, hardworking kids”.
“His enthusiasm for life and his mates and family was second to none. Sending enormous love to his family, mates and anyone that ever got to meet Will,” the club said.
Tributes to Thurston and his family have flowed in in the comments section of the post.
The Thurston family set up a GoFundMe campaign to bring him back to Australia on Friday, February 14.
Maree announced on Facebook that Thurston’s condition had deteriorated and was critical hours on Saturday evening, hours before his passing.
The Thurston family is still working to return Thurston’s body to Australia to give him a proper send off in her post from Sunday, according to Maree’s latest post.
It’s unclear whether his body has been returned yet.
