The body Australian cricket star Shane Warne was transferred to the Thai mainland from the resort island of Koh Samui on Sunday (March 6). The 52-year-old Warne was found unresponsive in his villa hotel in Koh Samui on Friday night and could not be revived at a nearby hospital. Yutthana Sirisombat of the Thai Police said on Sunday that initial investigations have shown no indication of foul play in Warne's death, but that an autopsy is still expected to be performed in Thailand.
Warne's family has requested a quick return of his body to Australia. On Saturday, Warne's manager James Erskine said Warne was only three days into a planned three-month vacation and alone, watching cricket, when he had a suspected heart attack.
Shane Warne's untimely death sent shockwaves through cricket fraternity which left everyone mourning and stunned. In the recent development in Warne's death investigation Thailand Police have said that the legendary cricketer was experiencing chest pains prior to his death from a suspected heart attack during a holiday in Koh Samui.
The 52-year-old was declared dead by doctors in the Thai International Hospital on Friday night, after friends tried to revive him in his luxury villa hours earlier.
Thai police confirmed on Saturday that Warne’s family had advised them that the former Australian leg spinner had a history of asthma and heart disease.
Bo Phut police station on Koh Samui superintendent Yuttana Sirisomba said Warne had “seen a doctor about his heart” recently.
As a result, Thai police have ruled out treating the 52-year-old’s death as suspicious, but do not yet have an official cause of death.
Australia’s ambassador to Thailand said he had met twice with Thai Police with other DFAT officials to arrange returning the body to Australia.
Allan McKinnon addressed reporters on Saturday and thanked Thai Police for their cooperation and understanding.
"I'm here on behalf of Shane Warne's family and his travelling companions to thank Superintendent Yuttana and his team here at the Bo Phun Police Station and the hospital in Koh Samui for facilitating this process and getting Shane Warne back to Australia as quickly as possible," he said.
"The patient was intubated. We continued to resuscitate and provide CPR for 45 minutes. The doctor on duty concluded that the patient had passed before arriving at the hospital," Dulyakit Wittayachanyapong, medical director of Thai International Hospital, said.
Fox Sports television quoted a family statement as saying Warne died of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Warne worked as a commentator for Fox Sports. The statement said, "Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and ... could not be revived." "After the hospital was contacted by the hotel, we sent an emergency medical team to assist the patient at the premise. We received the call around 4.40 p.m. and the team arrived around 5 pm," Wittayachanyapong said.
