Football player Liam Hampson had been enjoying the time of his life with his teammates until he unfortunately passed away at a Barcelona nightclub.
They had been drinking beer at Oktoberfest, playing football in Paris, and partying in Spain.
With his NRL teammates AJ Brimson, Jordan Riki, Jesse Arthurs, and a few more friends, the 24-year-old Queensland Cup rugby league player from the Redcliffe Dolphins was gallivanting across Europe on a whirlwind vacation that included 12 countries.
According to all appearances, Hampson was having a great vacation when he drank his way around Europe and boasted on Instagram that “my life is perfect.”
That is, until early on Tuesday morning, when he vanished after a night out at the Sala Apolo pub in the Spanish capital.
About 30 hours after he was last seen partying at the location, his corpse was discovered. According to Spanish daily El Munda, the local authorities suspect that he may have fallen by mistake from a height of 10 meters during the night out.
The social media streams he maintained for himself and his traveling companions have provided a glimpse into Hampson’s last weeks after the catastrophe.
Numerous images and videos were posted by the group from their action-packed journeys over the previous three weeks, which included stops in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain.
The first visit was the renowned Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, where you could dress in lederhosen and drink a couple steins of beer. Hampson wrote on October 2: “Love you Oktoberfest.”
The party traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands, two days later, where they explored the city’s well-known canals.
The party next traveled to the Swiss Alps, where they visited Lauterbrunnen and the neighboring town of Grindelwald.
Hampson described waking up to the breathtaking mountain vista from his hotel room as “waking up to a tiny bit of paradise.”
The party then traveled to Italy, stopping in at Rome, Capri, and the Afalfi coast, where they went water skiing and took advantage of Positano’s autumnal weather.
I have an amazing life, Hampson informed his fans.
The French Riviera was the group’s next destination on their journey around the Mediterranean, where Hampson and his companions first saw Nice’s sites before enjoying a wild night drinking and dancing there.
Every night, live music is performed at the establishment, which calls itself the busiest bar on the French Riviera on its Facebook page.
After traveling 900 kilometers to Paris, the party stopped to take pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower.
They also traveled to the Parc de Princes stadium to support Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain as they defeated Marseille 1-0 to snap a three-game losing run.
In Barcelona, the group partied till the wee hours of Tuesday morning at Sala Apolo until Hampson got separated from his friends, who then reported him missing.
Until their worst fears came true early on Thursday AEDT, they made a desperate public plea for information regarding their friend’s location.
Liam’s father Brett said on Facebook, “Waking up to the news no one wants to hear, we are horrified to find out that Liam had an accident and regrettably has not survived.”
We are devastated, to put it mildly. Liam was a beloved son, brother, grandchild, uncle, and friend who had a heart of gold. We’re so sad that words are inadequate.
“We cannot express our gratitude to Liam’s friends enough for helping in the hunt for our son when Liam was enjoying the time of his life.” We are thinking about them.
Hours after making a frantic search plea, Hampson’s sister Tiarna shared a similar remembrance. We are really devastated, she said in her message.
“Liam was the finest brother I could have hoped for and improved me much.” We struggle to articulate our sorrow.
“We can’t express our gratitude to the lads he was traveling with enough for helping with his search and ensuring that his last days were the happiest of his life,” they said.
Liam, I’m going to miss you so much.
Tiarna’s homage was met with a love emoji from Brimson.
The grieving family has asked for privacy as they process the tragic loss.
Brimson had hours before made a frantic search for Hampson.
Has not been able to be reached, and no one has seen him over the last 24 hours. He was traveling with a group and acting quite strangely. The baseball cap, light-colored shorts, and black t-shirt that Hampson was last seen wearing were seen in a picture that the Queensland Origin player captioned.
“Pls don’t contact me unless you have any information or assistance. We are attempting to communicate with family members and other people. Thanks!’
The Broncos also shared Riki’s re-post of the image along with a note pleading for aid in locating him.
Riki said on Instagram, “Please help or spread this [message] It’s extremely terrifying for all of us. He’s our best companion we want to locate him.”
On his Instagram stories, Arthars uploaded a straightforward pray emoji over a dark backdrop.
Following Hampson’s death, Riki was the first of his traveling companions to speak up.
“My brother, you have a great spirit. I adore you.” He wrote, “I’m very sorry.”
Can’t put into words how I’m feeling was the caption on another picture. I adore you, brother.
Two days before, Brimson shared one of Hampson’s final images taken in front of Paris’s Eiffel Tower.
The two had known one another since elementary school and went to famous rugby league school Keebra Park State High School.
At the Tweed Seagulls, Hampson and Brimson were also teammates.
The Queensland rugby league community has been shaken by Hampson’s passing.
Dylan Parker, a photographer and friend, wrote: “I never believed I would wake up to hear the sad news.”
While Liam was a crazy rugby league player, he was also a wonderful guy. Every match he came up for a talk before and after, and he was always so upbeat and smiling. Everybody will miss him.
With Brimson, Riki, and Arthars, Hampson had been traveling around Europe on vacation.
The friends’ adventure-filled trips over the previous month have produced hundreds of pictures, including images from Paris, Ibiza, Amsterdam, the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, and Positano, Italy.
Positano, you were a treat, Hampson captioned a photo six days before.
Hampson moved from the Tweed Head Seagulls to Redcliffe at the conclusion of 2021 after four seasons of Queensland Cup competition.
Hampson, a hooker with the Redcliffe Dolphins, recently assisted in leading his team to the Queensland Cup championship game, where they were defeated by the Norths Devils by a score of 16-10.
The Dolphins will play in the NRL for the first time the following year, with legendary coach Wayne Bennett in charge.
Hampson is not a member of the club’s elite team.