Stamford: Boy 'Fights For Life' After Coach Fall

14 April 2014, 06:04 | Updated: 14 April 2014, 13:17

A nine-year-old boy from Stamford Rugby Club has suffered "life-threatening injuries'' after falling from a rugby club coach.

Officers said nobody else was injured in the incident, on the A47 trunk road near King's Lynn, at around 3.45pm yesterday.

The critically-injured nine year-old boy has been named as Sebastian Goold.

Police said the accident happened as a group of boys queued for the toilet on board the coach which his father was also travelling on.

Steve Fowkes, president of Stamford Rugby Club, said Sebastian was a "promising" player and the club were desperate for him to pull through.

He said: "All our thoughts are with Sebastian Goold and his family.

We've had some fantastic messages of support from other rugby clubs that were at the tournament, and also from a rugby club in Ireland where a similar incident happened."

He added: "The team have been very successful. 

There are around 400 playing for the team.

We don't push him any sort of direction, they are all learning the skills they need before they have a particular role on the team.

But Seb is a promising player who is part of a very successful team.

 The medical staff are now taking charge and it is a question of waiting."

Alumni of the club took to Twitter to offer their support to Sebastian's family.

Craig Felston, who plays for the Moldovan sevens national team, said: "@CraigFelston My thoughts go out to 9 yr old Seb who is critically Ill after an accident whilst returning from a rugby tournament for my old club Stamford".

Harlequins Rugby Union player Louis Grimoldby said: "@Louis_Grimoldby Thoughts and prayers are with my old Club, Stamford Rugby Club and the boys family. Awful news.  Fingers crossed."

Holt RFC said: "Holt Rugby Club has been in contact with our friends at Stamford and offered our prayers and best wishes to their club, the boy and his family and friends.

I'm sure everyone connected with Holt RFC will be deeply shocked by this sad news."

Norfolk Police said: "We are continuing with investigations into the circumstances of how the boy came to fall from the coach as it travelled on a stretch of single carriageway at Tilney All Saints.

The incident happened shortly before 3.45pm as the group of 30 passengers, 20 children and 10 adults, travelled home to Lincolnshire after the youngsters, from Stamford Rugby Club, had played in a tournament at Holt in north Norfolk.

The boy’s father was travelling on the 71-seater double-decker coach while his mother was travelling in a car as part of the convoy."

Roads policing Inspector Chris Brooks added: "This is a very difficult time for the boy’s family and we have specially trained officers supporting them.

We've already interviewed some of the passengers on board as well as drivers who in the area at the time of the incident.

As a result of initial enquiries we know just prior to the incident that people were queuing for the toilet. 

Somehow, the door has opened and the boy has fallen from the moving coach.

The coach was recovered yesterday and is being kept in a secure compound.

The vehicle will be examined by police and VOSA investigators and this is the focus of our enquiry at this stage.

We will also be speaking to other people who were on board at the time of the incident and it would be inappropriate to speculate on possible causes at this stage."

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Team at Norfolk Police on 101.