The body of a young boxer who died after falling from a TukTuk in Thailand body has been brought home to Scotland.
Colin Cairney passed away at the Vachira Phuket Hospital on Wednesday, June 17, after he was found unconscious on a road outside The Nature Hotel last weekend.
The 22-year-old from Stirling is believed to have fallen from the vehicle, suffering severe head injuries, while travelling back to his hotel after a night out.
Colin’s friends and family created two fundraisers to bring him back to Scotland and raised over £94,000.
His uncle, Ryan Aimer, announced that Colin is back home and thanked everyone who donated.
He said: “On behalf of our family, we are relieved to say that our beloved Colin Cairney is now back on Scottish soil.
“We would like to sincerely thank everyone for their messages, thoughts, prayers, and generous donations during this difficult time. Your kindness, support, and compassion have meant so much to us and have helped us more than words can express.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all. The Cairney & Aimer family.”
View 3 ImagesColin Cairney was regarded as Scotland’s leading young welterweight.(Image: Kynoch Boxing Scotland)
The Record previously reported how the tuk-tuk driver had been charged following the incident.
Local media in Thailand identified the man as Mr Kitpong and said he had been charged with negligence, causing death and failing to stop and provide assistance, or notifying officials.
The 34-year-old reportedly rented the tuk-tuk from his brother to provide passenger services abd admitted to all the charges, according to news sites in the country. Reports suggest the driver admitted picking up Colin and his girlfriend and taking them to a hotel near Kalim Beach.
After the pair had no cash to pay the fare, they asked to be taken to an ATM. Colin was then said to have been driven to three separate ATM locations.
However he could not withdraw any cash so the driver decided to return this passengers to the original pickup point. During questioning, Mr Kitpong reportedly claimed he was travelling at a normal speed when he sensed something was not right with the vehicle.
But he did not stop to check and claimed to have only noticed Colin was not in the vehicle about two kilometres down the road.
The boxer had travelled to Thailand with friends following his latest professional fight in May. He had built an unbeaten professional record of 10 wins from 10 fights, with nine victories coming by knockout.
View 3 ImagesColin Cairney’s body has been returned to Scotland. (Image: Collect)
In October, he won the WBO International Youth welterweight title in Hong Kong after stopping Trijot Singh Bawa in the second round. In his most recent bout, he claimed the Commonwealth International belt with a fourth-round stoppage victory over Taylor Greig in Glasgow.
Regarded as Scotland’s leading young welterweight, Colin had been aiming to headline major shows and challenge for British honours in the near future.
Colin’s heartbroken family paid tribute to him following his tragic death.
His sister, Finli Cairney, said: “You were so loved, my boy. Fighter until the end.”
His aunt, Caitlyn Aimer, commented: “Colin my heart is broken. There are no words to fully express the sadness of losing you, you’re going to be so missed by everyone.
“Your memory will remain in our hearts forever. We will cherish every moment we shared with you and hold on to the beautiful memories you left behind.”
Article continues below
Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.