Belgian co-driver Jurgen Damen passes away

Belgian co-driver Jurgen Damen, who sustained injuries at the Sealine Cross-Country Rally on Monday, while navigating for Dutch driver Rene Kuipers, passed away on Wednesday evening.Kuipers’ in a statement (translated from Dutch using Google) on Ferm World Rally Team’s Facebook page, said, “My thoughts are with his wife Kathy, his son Jules and all close relatives. The world loses a sympathetic man, a pure sportsman who lived for cross-country rallying. Words fail me… it’s the worst day of my life.”Kuipers and Damen navigated through the opening special stage and according to Kuipers’ statement, “5 kilometres before the finish we drove a dune…“The car rolled over and after we had landed on our roof, I got Jurgen out of the car as quickly as possible, stabilised him and alerted all the emergency services.”A Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) statement said: “He was treated at the scene by the event’s medical team and then transferred promptly by helicopter to Hamad General Hospital in Doha.”“We hoped that it would be fine. At the hospital, the diagnosis was that he had suffered a serious neck fracture, but there was hope of recovery,” read Kuipers’ statementDamen was transferred by air to Belgium with members of his family and team on Wednesday morning.QMMF statement added: “Everyone at the QMMF and those involved with the running of the 2015 Sealine Cross-Country Rally send their deepest condolences to his family and friends at this deeply distressing time.”