Australian sporting icon Shane Warne died of natural causes, autopsy finds

An autopsy at the Surat Thani Hospital has confirmed that Australian sporting icon Shane Warne died of natural causes.

An autopsy at the Surat Thani Hospital has found that Australian sporting icon Shane Warne died of natural causes, Thai police have confirmed.

Warne’s family and Australia’s ambassador to Thailand Allan McKinnon have been informed of the result and accepted the finding, deputy national police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said in a statement.

“Today investigators received the autopsy result, in which the medical opinion is that the cause of death is natural,” Phathanacharoen said, according to Channel News Asia.

“Investigators will summarise the autopsy result for prosecutors within the timeframe of the law.”

Warne’s body will be transferred to Australian consular officials for return to his family, Phathanacharoen said.

Shane Warne of Australia bows to the crowd at the end of day three of the fifth Ashes Test Match between Australia and England. Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Thai authorities are investigating a potential security breach involving Warne’s body, which was captured on film.

A German woman was able to enter an ambulance carrying Warne’s body and spend over half a minute alone in the vehicle, the ABC reported.

It is understood Thai authorities were told the woman knew Warne personally, prompting them to provide her access to pay respects.

Footage shows the woman carrying a small bunch of flowers and approaching the ambulance which was transporting Warne’s body from Koh Samui where he died, via ferry to the mainland.

She was accompanied by a Thai woman who spoke to authorities near the ramp entrance to the ferry, reported by ABC to be immigration officials.

According to the report, the woman says in English, “yeah, yeah she knows him”, followed in Thai by, “thank you very much, she‘s a friend”.

They are both then escorted through parked cars to the ambulance where the German woman approaches the driver side window, holding up the flowers to show the driver.

The driver then gets out and walks around the sliding side door of the ambulance, opening the door for the woman, who enters, and closing it behind her.

RIP Shane Warne. Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

On Monday evening, members of Warne’s family issued heartfelt tributes honouring the cricket icon after his shock death.

Shane’s parents, Keith and Brigitte, his brother Jason, his children, Jackson, Summer and Brooke and his ex-wife, Simone, each released statements on Monday evening.

Keith and Brigitte described the past three days as a “never-ending nightmare” for the Warne family, while Jason called it a “truly heartbreaking” ordeal.

Jackson vowed to “try and be happy” after his father’s sudden passing, while Summer described Shane as “the best dad someone could ever ask for”.

Simone offered the briefest statement, sharing a powerful quote: “Who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone the light remains.”

— with Duncan Murray, NCA NewsWire

Originally published as Australian sporting icon Shane Warne died of natural causes, autopsy finds