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As Aussie as it gets: Warne’s last meal was a serve of Vegemite and toast

Shane Warne’s last meal was a plate of Vegemite and toast shared with a mate at the Thailand resort where he died hours later.

Mar 07, 2022, updated Mar 07, 2022
Shane Warne died of a heart attack in Thailand. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Shane Warne died of a heart attack in Thailand. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The poignant detail was revealed by The Sporting News CEO Tom Hall, who was already on the island of Koh Samui when Warne and three mates arrived.

“I have dined with Shane in many fine establishments, but rather than sample some of the local Thai fare, we tuck into a plate of Vegemite on toast,” Mr Hall wrote in an article on the outlet’s website.

“Shane chomping away: ‘Geez, you can’t beat Vegemite with some butter, always great wherever you are in the world’.

“An Australian through and through – this was to turn out to be his last meal.”

Warne’s body was on Sunday taken from Koh Samui island by ferry to the Surat Thani mainland and then on to a local hospital, where an autopsy was due to take place.

Once that is completed, his remains are expected to be prepared for an air transfer home to Melbourne.

There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death at age 52 from what’s believed to have been a heart attack.

Paramedic Anuch Han-iam told British tabloid The Sun there were four or five other men in Warne’s room at the Koh Samui villa when he and a colleague arrived on Friday afternoon local time.

Warne’s friends were trying to revive the 52-year-old before Mr Anuch took over CPR.

“They were desperate. I think one was crying. They were really stressed and panicked,” the paramedic told the newspaper.

“They kept trying to wake him and I heard someone saying, ‘come on, Shane. Come on, Shane’.

“I could see they were all shocked and I just tried to concentrate and do my best.”

Mr Anuch said the room was clean and there were no signs of partying such as beer or cigarettes.

“I did my best for him and gave all my energy. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t help him.”

A state funeral will be held in Victoria after Warne’s family accepted an offer from the state government.

He had been staying in a private villa with three friends, one of whom performed CPR after finding him unresponsive when he did not show up for dinner.

Yuttana Sirisombat, superintendent at the Bo Phut police station, told reporters Warne had been suffering chest pains before arriving in Thailand.

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He also had asthma and had seen a doctor about his heart.

Warne’s manager said the cricketer had finished a “ridiculous” diet of consuming only fluids days before his death.

“He did go on these ridiculous sort of diets, and he was just finished with one,” James Erskine told Nine’s Weekend Today on Sunday.

“It was a bit all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagna stuffed in the middle or he would be having black and green juices.

“He obviously smoked most of his life. I don’t know. I think it was just a massive heart attack.”

Erskine told Fox Cricket Warne was only three days into a planned three-month holiday and alone watching cricket when he fell ill.

His friend Andrew Neophitou, who was among the group staying in the same villa, went to check on him.

“They were going to have a drink … or go and meet someone to go out and have a drink at 5pm and Neo knocked on his door at 5.15 pm because Warnie is always on time,” Erskine said.

“He went in there … and then realised something was wrong. And he turned him over and gave him CPR and mouth-to-mouth, which lasted about 20 minutes and then the ambulance came.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed on Sunday Warne’s family had accepted the government’s offer of a state funeral, with more details in coming days.

“It will be an opportunity for Victorians to pay tribute to his contribution to his sport, to our state and the country,” Andrews said.

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