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Home / Sport

Long haul flight may have led to Jonah Lomu's death

NZME.
23 Nov, 2015 01:33 AMQuick Read

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Jonah Lomu died from a blood clot on his lung, possibly as a result of his long haul flight home from the UK.

Former All Blacks doctor John Mayhew told the BBC that Lomu would have felt little pain when he died suddenly last week.

Read more:
•
Loving farewell for 'son of Pacific' Jonah Lomu
• Jonah Lomu: A father, first and foremost

Mayhew spoke to BBC Five Live last night and said: "He returned from the UK via Dubai and appeared to be in good health before he died."

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"We think the most likely cause was a clot on the lung which can be a complication of long distance travel. Jonah was at greater risk of that happening because of his renal condition."

Mayhew said the other possibility was cardiac arrest, but "on the balance of probabilities it was probably a massive clot on the lung."

Discover more

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Paul Lewis: Jonah Lomu among the greatest of the greats

21 Nov 03:15 AM
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Herald on Sunday editorial: The jersey Jonah and Richie will never lose

21 Nov 04:01 PM
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Jonah Lomu: A father, first and foremost

21 Nov 06:30 AM
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Heather du Plessis-Allan: McCaw remembers Jonah

21 Nov 04:00 PM
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