Charlotte FC Soccer Player Anton Walkes, 25, Has Died & People Are Sharing Tributes Online
"There are no words to describe the sorrow of everyone in Major League Soccer today."
Anton Walkes at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Right: Anton Walkes.
Major league soccer player Anton Walkes has died after a boating accident in Florida.
The Charlotte FC defender was involved in a "two-vessel" accident on Wednesday near the Miami Marine Stadium basin, reports CNN.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told the outlet the 25-year-old athlete was unconscious when officers arrived and later received CPR after being transported to shore by Miami firefighters.
He died in the hospital on Thursday from his injuries.
It's not known if anyone else was injured in the boating accident.
Charlotte FC also confirmed Walkes' death in an Instagram post.
"We are deeply saddened to share that Anton Walkes has tragically passed away this morning," the post reads. "May he rest in peace."
The team's owner, David Tepper, issued a statement on social media saying the team is "devastated by the tragic passing."
"He was a tremendous son, father, partner and teammate whose joyous approach to life touched everyone he met."
Major League Soccer also paid tribute to Walkes in a tweet.
"There are no words to describe the sorrow of everyone in Major League Soccer today after learning of the tragic passing of Anton Walkes of Charlotte FC," the organization said.
\u201cThere are no words to describe the sorrow of everyone in Major League Soccer today after learning of the tragic passing of Anton Walkes of Charlotte FC. Anton was a talented and dedicated player who was loved by his teammates and fans.\u201d— Major League Soccer (@Major League Soccer) 1674139045
The Tottenham Hotspur Football Club based in the U.K. expressed its condolences on Twitter.
\u201cWe are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former player, Anton Walkes. \n\nThe thoughts of everyone at the Club are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time \ud83d\udc99\u201d— Tottenham Hotspur (@Tottenham Hotspur) 1674141720
Fans are also paying tribute to Walkes.
One Twitter user remembers Walkes as a "supporter of diversity" and shared a clip of Walkes speaking about LGBTQ Pride last year.
\u201cI'm devastated by the news that Anton Walkes has passed away.\n\nLike many members of the @CharlotteFC squad, he was always kind, and a supporter of diversity and respect for all.\n\nHere's what he said when I asked him about #LGBTQ Pride last year:\u201d— Sam Spencer (@Sam Spencer) 1674155290
The senior video manager for Charlotte FC shared a clip of a happy Walkes on the soccer field and captioned it "fly high."
\u201cFly high, @AntonWalkes \ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f\ud83d\udc99\u201d— Brittany Alvarado (@Brittany Alvarado) 1674148807
According to ESPN, Walkes joined Charlotte FC for the club's debut MLS season in 2022.
The 25-year-old played in 23 matches with 21 starts and had five shots on goal this past season.
TSN says the London native started out with English Premier League club Tottenham and played for Portsmouth before signing with Atlanta United in the MLS, where he played for three seasons.