Support floods in for Southland rugby player Jayden Broome after two-storey fall
Support has flooded in for the family of a young Southland rugby player in a critical condition after a fall from a two-storey Dunedin flat on Monday night.
Jayden Broome, 19, slipped and fell while climbing onto the roof of the Big Red flat at the corner of Castle St and Dundas St to take a photo with friends.
Broome struck his head on the concrete and suffered serious head injuries.
The University of Otago student, described by teammates as “a great man with a huge heart”, had just returned from Christchurch, where he captained the Southland under-19 team.
Otago University Rugby took to social media to express support for Broome.
“Jayden is a proud member of our community and an even prouder Southlander,” a post read.
“We pray for him and his family and trust his fight and heart gets him through.”
Dunedin Sergeant Matt Lee said police and Hato Hone St John’s went to the Castle St address at 10.10pm.
Broome is in a stable condition in a coma, the Southland Tribune reported and has since been transported from Dunedin to Christchurch for further treatment.
A Givealittle page has also been set up to help the family of Broome.
“At a time like this Jayden’s family need as much help as we can give them,” the page read.
The page had raised $33,666 by Thursday morning.
A University of Otago spokesperson said staff were supporting the student, his whānau and students to ensure they had the care and assistance they needed.
“Our thoughts are with the student and his whānau during this extremely difficult time.
“Out of respect for the privacy of this young man and his whānau, the university will not be providing further information.”
Castle St is home to many University of Otago student flats, including Big Red, on the corner of Dundas St, which has three six-bedroom flats.