My father died after collapsing at a West Ham match – and his £12,000 Rolex watch disappeared following CPR
- Ordeal allegedly happened at match between West Ham and Wolves on Monday
A father’s £12,000 Rolex disappeared after he collapsed and died at a West Ham football match following CPR, his heartbroken son has claimed.
Jay Gray took to social media to tell of the traumatic ordeal at the sporting match on Monday evening, which saw his elderly father suddenly fall down.
But while he was carried upstairs from his seat to undergo CPR, the man’s watch seemingly vanished, his son claimed.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Gray said: ‘My dad unfortunately collapsed and passed away at the [West Ham] game last Monday night.
‘He had to be carried upstairs from his seat in block 123 to be able to have CPR performed on him, his watch went missing when he was moved and we desperately want it back.’
Photographs posted by Mr Gray show him posing for a selfie with his football mad father at the stadium, before tragedy struck.
Jay Gray (right) with his father before tragedy struck and the elderly man collapsed and died
The father’s £12,000 Rolex disappeared after he collapsed following CPR, his heartbroken son claimed
Another image shows the luxury blue, silver and gold watch, which is estimated to be worth around £12,000.
Many commented on Mr Gray’s post, which has gone viral, to pay their respects to his father.
One person wrote: ‘I am so desperately sorry to hear this tragic news. I am the woman sitting behind you who helped support his head and turn him to his side.
‘Please accept my heartfelt condolences. I did not see the watch but it could easily have come off due to the manner in which he was carried.’
Another said: ‘So sorry for your loss, and sending love and condolences to you and your family.’
MailOnline has contacted West Ham FC and Mr Gray for comment.
The Premier League match between West Ham United and the Wolverhampton Wanderers was held at London Stadium in Stratford on December 9.
Over 60,000 fans were in attendance at the match, which saw the London-based side walk away with a 2-1 win.
It comes amid a difficult few weeks for the team, with their player Michail Antonio, 34, left with multiple injuries following a horror crash during Storm Darragh.
Antonio, who sustained a leg fracture before being taken to hospital via an Air Ambulance, is expected to be off the pitch for the rest of the season.
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui recently expressed confidence that the Hammers’ all-time record Premier League scorer will make a comeback to the pitch.
He said: ‘The most important thing is that he’s alive, he’s good. He broke his femur, but he’s going to recover for sure.
‘He’s going to need time. It’s about time. Now it’s about time but the good news is that he has time because when you see the car was terrible, the accident, that’s why we are happy.
‘Because in the end, despite the fact we are unhappy because we lost one very important player for us, we are happy because he’s going to be ready.
‘Now he’s strong, he’s recovered himself in the next month for sure and he’s going to be ready to be a player.’
West Ham fans have also been grieving the loss of one of their academy players who passed away following a cancer battle.
Goalkeeper Oscar Fairs, 15, had been diagnosed with a 9cm ependymoma brain tumour -a rare tumor that grows in the brain or spinal cord – last August.
He underwent seven surgeries and chemotherapy and radiotherapy before being placed in end of life care.
West Ham’s sporting director Mark Noble shared the tragic news in a statement on the football club’s website.
He said: ‘On behalf of everyone at West Ham United, it is with deep and profound sadness that I confirm the tragic passing of our U15s Academy goalkeeper Oscar Fairs, following his brave battle with cancer.
‘Oscar was adored by everyone at the Academy – not only was he a great goalkeeper, he was a true Hammer and a fantastic young person, who will be deeply missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know him.
‘I have wonderful memories of Oscar playing in my garden – Lenny and his teammates all loved him.
‘He was a friendly, happy, well-mannered and polite young man, who had such a bright future ahead of him, and it is just so unimaginably devastating that he has been taken from his family and friends at this age.’