Photo: Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty

Kelly MEAFUA of Montauban warms up prior to the French Pro D2 rugby match between Rouen and Montauban at Stade Robert Diochon on March 10, 2022 in Rouen, France. (Photo by Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images)

Meafua, 32, fell in the river Tarn in the Occitania region in the early morning hours on Saturday, US Montauban said in astatementtranslated from French.

Bradley Kanaris/Getty

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 09: Kelly Meafua of the Waratahs competes at the lineout during the 2018 Global Tens match between the New South Wales Waratahs and the Highlanders at Suncorp Stadium on February 9, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

According to the club, a teammate attempted to rescue Meafua but was unsuccessful, and was hospitalized for hypothermia before being released.The Guardianreported that French media identified that athlete as Christopher Vaotoa. The pair had reportedly been celebrating the club’s 48-40 win over Narbonne when the incident occurred.

Accordingto CNN, a spokesman for US Montauban told the outlet on Monday that an investigation into the accident has been opened, but officials are treating the case as a “tragedy” instead of “a bad ending to a party.”

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Meafua moved to France to join Narbonne in 2015 before returning to the French second division with Beziers, according toSky News. Meafua signed with Montauban in 2018.

source: people.com