A TALENTED young sportsman was found hanged on a ship after a fight with friends over a girl.

Harry Corbett was found on the top deck during a cruise of Ong Cam Bay in Vietnam, an inquest heard. The 19-year-old had been travelling with friends Mark Catley-Day and Rufus Wright across Australia and the Far East. Earlier that day the three friends had been kayaking and had dinner and drinks.

The student from Hordle had been talking to a Norwegian girl that evening who Mr Catley-Day had also expressed interest in, and his friends assumed he had “gone off with her”.

“Harry had swooped in underneath me. I didn’t think it was that serious,” said Mr Catley-Day.

A report from Major Doan-Xaun Thui, of Vietnam Public Security who attended the scene, stated Mr Corbett and Mr Catley-Day had a dispute in their cabin over a girl and that the former had punched the latter, leaving in a bad temper.

At about 2am Mr Corbett burst into the cabin the friends were sharing in a rage. Mr Catley-Day said: “Harry came in angry, shouting and swearing.”

Mr Wright said: “It got pretty serious, I had to get one of the staff to help. Though Mr Corbett was of average size, Mr Wright claimed “you would not want to get in a fight with him”.By the time they got there Harry had stopped. After the staff left he started chucking money and cards at me. He then said ‘tell my mum I love her’ and walked out the door.”

Mr Wright went to check on his friend ten minutes later. “I asked staff if they had seen Harry and they said he had gone to the top deck. I knew something was wrong.”

He fetched Mr Catley-Day, who with a member of staff attempted to revive Mr Corbett. However, he died before the ship could reach shore.

A post mortem conducted in Vietnam revealed the rugby player had died from hanging.

The court heard how on a previous trip to Europe, the former head boy at Walhampton School, near Lymington, had told his friends that he believed he was bi polar and suffered from depression.

However, a GP’s report stated that he had not been diagnosed with either illness and was not taking any medication for either at the time of his death.

Mr Catley-Day told the court Mr Corbett had told him that he had previously tried to hang himself while the pair were travelling in Australia.

Coroner Grahame Short said: “He was clearly suffering from a medical disorder that was not diagnosed.”

He went on to describe Mr Corbett’s actions as spontaneous and that despite no toxicology report being compiled, he was sure Mr Corbett was under the influence of alcohol at the time of his death.

He recorded a narrative verdict that Mr Corbett had died of hanging on board ship QN2040 at 2.30 am on May 22.

In a statement released after yesterday’s inquest, his family said: “Harry was our youngest son and loved by all who knew him and we are devastated at his loss. We are extremely proud of everything he achieved in his short life.”

“Harry was well respected by teachers, coaches, parents and his peers alike. These attributes helping him to become head of school at both prep and senior school.

“Such was the love for Harry; he had friends from Canada and New Zealand fly in to attend his funeral and Thanksgiving Service.

“His passion was rugby and he was proud to captain his school team throughout his senior school culminating in a “played 10, won 10” final season; the first in the school’s history. Win, lose or draw he played with dignity, skill and sportsmanship.

“His enthusiasm inspired others to believe and attain more as a team than as individuals.

“We will never know what the future held for Harry. He had secured a place at Swansea University to read history after achieving respectable A level results.”