Charlotte FC defender Anton Walkes died following a boating accident on Wednesday afternoon in Miami.
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The 25-year-old man was found unconscious by local firefighters after a collision involving two watercraft near a marina. Despite rapid resuscitation maneuvers, his death was confirmed Thursday morning.
“Everyone within our organization is devastated by the tragic departure of Anton Walkes. He was a wonderful son, father, companion and teammate whose enthusiasm and zest for life touched everyone he met in his life, Charlotte FC owner David Tepper said via communicated. He made people better in all aspects of their lives and represented the team with dignity on and off the pitch.”
“There are no words to describe the sadness of everyone in Major League Soccer (MLS) today,” added commissioner Don Garber. Anton was a dedicated and talented player whom his teammates and fans loved.
Formed by the English organization of Tottenham, Walkes totaled 93 regular season games in MLS, including 23 last year. He has spent 1805 minutes on the playing surface and completed more than 88% of his passes in 2022. Previously, the fullback played three years with Atlanta United FC, i.e. in 2017, then in 2020 and 2021 following stays with the Spurs as well as the Portsmouth team.