US Olympian Richard Thornton Cause of Death, What Happened?
Former U.S swimmer Richard Thornton has died at the age of 65, his family have confirmed
The Olympian had travelled to a beach in California on Thursday when he suddenly collapsed after stepping into the water.
The avid surfer had gone to meet with a friend at The Hook, a place known to be popular with surfers in Santa Cruz, when he fell into the ocean.
“He was following his buddy down the steps,” Thornton‘s brother Marc told ABC 7.
“His buddy jumped in the water, looked up for Richard, and Richard was just standing there at peace, not clutching his heart or anything, and he just kind of collapsed into the water.”
After learning of his death, Thornton‘s alma mater UC Berkeley paid tribute with a post on social media: “We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Cal Swimming great Richard Thornton. Our thoughts are with Richard‘s family, friends, and all of those he impacted in the Cal community.”
What caused Richard Thornton’s death?
Initial reports suggested he may had lost his life in a surfing accident, but this scenario was quickly shut down by his daughter, Kirra.
The family have insisted the cause of death is ‘unknown’, and police are yet to state the cause of death as the coroner has not given their verdict.
However, they did reveal that Thornton had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow.
“He could be in a hospital for six months with an oxygen tube, losing weight and all that,” his brother added. “What a way to go for someone who loved the beach and being in the water.”
Richard Thornton’s swimming achievements
At the age of 21, Thornton qualified and was selected as a member of the US men’s Olympic swimming team in 1980. But in a bold move, he boycotted the Olympics in Moscow in protest of Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.
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