THE shock death of a competitor forced the abandonment of Europe's longest raft race down the River Wye on Golden Jubilee Monday.

Four hundred rafters were gearing up for an exciting third and final day when race veteran Richard Collison, 48, suffered a heart attack in his tent.

An ambulance was called to the Huntsham campsite on the banks of the Wye where medics worked on Mr Collison for more than an hour before he was declared dead at 11.20am.

The popular competitor's death resulted in an unprecedented but unanimous decision by the rest of the field that the race, which began on Saturday in Hay-on-Wyre, was over.

The tragedy has put the future of the 24-year race in jeopardy, following last year's cancellation due to foot and mouth.

Thousands of spectators had cheered the crews from the banks as they snaked they way through the county before it was abandoned.

Trish Hales, chairman of organisers the Committee for Herefordshire Ama-teur Rafters (CHAR), paid tribute to her friend.

"The grief and shock that went through the campsite was unbelievable," she said.

"When the ambulance left we had a meeting and a small prayer service and discussed what we wanted to do. Everybody agreed that the race had ended. Words cannot express what it feels like for this to happen.

"There were 400 rafters camped there and everyone was comforting each other. We were one whole community."

No trophies were awarded out of respect for Mr Collison but leading the 26 crews at the time of the abandonment was Here-fordshire Farmers, a six-man team from Orcop.