Son of ex-Chelsea star dies with pal in tragic Dubai hike gone incorrect
The son of a former Chelsea footballer and his friend died in the United Arab Emirates after going for a hike in a desert valley in the middle of last month
Cassius Newton
The son of former Chelsea defensive midfielder Eddie Newton died in the United Arab Emirates after going for a hike in a desert valley amid soaring temperatures. Cassius Newton, 34, from Poole in Dorset, was found dead alongside his friend in Wadi Naqab, Dubai, on July 18.
An inquest held in Chelmsford on Thursday heard that the pair were both living in the luxury resort of Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai, at the time, having moved to the UAE for work. Essex area coroner Michelle Brown said Mr Newton ‘decided to go for a hike with a friend in the morning, about 7am’ through a desert valley.
“His wife expressed concerns as she hadn’t heard from him – she being in the UK – and reported him missing,” the coroner said. “It appears they had gone on a route that’s a recreational route, not needing hiking equipment.”
A tribute to Cassius Newton
The inquest also heard temperatures would have reached more than 40C. “Mr Newton was found by a search team approximately three or four kilometres from the vehicle,” she said.
Ms Brown said the area was a ‘wholly mountainous region’ and that Mr Newton was ‘found lying on his back with rocks surrounding him’. She said he was about ‘350 metres away from his friend’.
He was taken to hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, where his death was confirmed later that day. The provisional medical cause of death for both men was recorded as cardiac and respiratory arrest due to severe rising body temperature and heat stress caused by exposure to high temperatures.
Aran Martinson was found just metres away from his friend Cassius Newton
Opening the inquest into Mr Martinson, Ms Brown said he was ‘working for a global company and staying in the UAE’. In a post on LinkedIn, Mr Martinson’s wife said: “He was incredibly driven, hardworking and ambitious, and he took enormous pride in what he did.
“He had only recently started a new chapter in his career, and I know how excited he was about it.” Adding he was her ‘best friend’, she wrote the father-of-three was ‘funny, kind, loyal, determined and someone who could make people laugh wherever he went.’
Cassius Newton’s father, Eddie Newton, made more than 200 appearances for Chelsea and famously scored the second goal in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in the 1997 FA Cup final. He also played for Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Oxford United, and Barnet before retiring in 2001.
Eddie Newton battles with Paul Schloes during a match between Chelsea and Manchester United(Image: (Ben Radford /Allsport))
After a distinguished playing career, Newton served his apprenticeship in management as an assistant under Roberto di Matteo when the Blues won the Champions League and FA Cup in 2012.
The now 54-year-old was appointed Trabzonspor boss on a permanent basis back in August 2020, after a successful period as caretaker winning the Turkish Cup. But in October of that year, he was sacked after winning just one of his seven games in charge.
Ms Brown adjourned both inquests until a date to be fixed and said they were likely to proceed as documentary hearings, with evidence coming entirely from written materials.
