Tributes are flowing in for Victorian football player Riki Stephens, who died on Friday after taking a deadly drug cocktail that hospitalised 16 people on the Gold Coast almost a week ago.
Mr Stephens was on an end-of-season holiday in Queensland with his Heathcote Saints Football Club teammates when he, along with about nine other players, ingested a drug cocktail of MDMA and synthetic LSD at the weekend, Heathcote Saints club president Andrew Conforti said.
More News Videos
- Video duration
- 01:47
Footballer dies after taking drug
- Video duration
- 02:21
Inside the Tower of Power
- Video duration
- 05:03
Tostee: timeline of a modern mystery
- Video duration
- 03:35
New dinosaur discovered in Queensland
- Video duration
- 00:57
Tostee's lack of emotion
- Video duration
- 01:22
Train services cut across Brisbane
- Video duration
- 03:29
Tostee relieved after not guilty verdict
Footballer dies after taking drug
Victorian footballer Riki Stephens has his life support switched off almost a week after ingesting an illicit drug called N bomb in Surfers Paradise. Nine News
Three players were hospitalised, including Mr Stephens, however two were discharged the following day, club vice-president Scott Adams said, while Mr Stephens remained in the intensive care unit at Gold Coast University Hospital.
His life support was turned off on Friday.
Mr Stephens was initially thought to have ingested "zombie" drug flakka, as did more than 20 other people on the Gold Coast.
However, toxicology results indicated that those tested ingested a cocktail of amphetamine-type substances, including Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), as well as a synthetic lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known as 'N bomb'.
Mr Conforti paid tribute to the 27-year-old on Friday morning.
"We were lucky enough to have Riki for 12 months ... he got out there and was a star," Mr Conforti said.
"There's a lot of people hurting – he was an easy person to love."
Senior coach Paul Kennedy said the team was "completely devastated".
"We've got a real heavy heart at the moment," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.
"I can't believe what the family would be going through."
Tributes were flowing on Facebook for the "top bloke" who touched so many people's lives.
Friend Joel Osbrough wrote of Mr Stephens' character.
"Words can't describe the shock we are all feeling after the loss of this absolute legend," he said.
"You were a fierce competitor on the field and the one we all couldn't wait to have a beer with off the field. Always the life of the party and never seen without your cheeky grin. Never a dull moment. Rest easy chicken. Only the good die young."
Jenny Raeburn wrote, "Another great taken from us far too soon ... I know you're shining over us all this morning with that cheeky grin on your face and a froffie [sic] in hand, rest easy legend."
Police arrested two people in relation to the dangerous drug on Thursday as investigations continue.
Mr Stephens was recruited to Heathcote from Diamond Creek Football Club, which is based in Melbourne's outer north-east.
"Riki played all of his junior career and many years as a senior footballer with Diamond Creek," the club said in a statement.
"It still doesn't seem real and it's hard to believe that his football prowess and cheeky smile will not grace our club again.
"Our thoughts and condolences go out to Riki's family and all of his friends, of which there are many."
- with AAP, Nino Bucci