GhLinks Media
Former surfing star Chris Davidson has died after an alleged assault on the New South Wales mid-north coast overnight.
Chris Davidson was allegedly king hit in a fight in the NSW mid-north coast and fell to the ground hitting his head, knocking the 45-year-old unconscious, police said.
He was taken to Kempsey Hospital where he died a short time later.
Grant Coleman, the brother of Waratahs coach Darren Coleman, has been charged with assault causing death.
He was refused bail and is due to appear before Port Macquarie Bail Court on Sunday.
Both Coleman and Mr Davidson were well known in the area, locals said.
Police have not released details of what they believe sparked the incident leading to Mr Davidson’s death.
A crime scene was established and was examined by a forensics team on Sunday morning.
Who was Chris Davidson?
Chris Davidson was an Australian professional surfer and a member of the Rip Curl Search team in the early 1990s,
According to surfing magazine Tracks,Mr Davidson, born in Sydney in 1977, was considered “one of the most gifted surfers in the world” at the peak of his career.
Davidson’s early career faltered due to injuries, family problems and drugs.
In the late 2000s, he turned his career around and won several tournaments.
Davidson competed on the Men’s Championship Tour in 2010 and 2011.
His best result was third behind Kelly Slater at the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Portugal; he was ranked 14th overall on the 2010 world tour.
