A 25-year-old British tourist was seriously injured after falling from an apartment block in Magaluf, Spain. The police believe that the man lost his balance due to an unfixed gap in the perimeter fence of the building. The man suffered severe injuries, including head and face wounds, and was taken to intensive care at Son Espases Hospital. It was reported that he had accessed the complex through a gap in the fence and fell while walking along a wall with a 15-foot drop below. The tourist was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
The Maria Elena building, where the incident occurred, has been the site of previous tragedies involving British tourists. Natalie Cormack, Tom Hughes, and Thomas Channon all lost their lives in separate incidents at the same apartment complex. Cormack fell to her death after getting locked out of her flat, Hughes died near the entrance, and Channon fell from a wall with a 50-foot sheer drop. Coroner Graeme Hughes expressed that proper safety measures could have prevented the accidents. The building was nicknamed the Magaluf ‘deathtrap’ following the incidents.
Thomas Channon’s family advocated for safety checks at Spanish hotels, leading to the implementation of ‘Tom’s Check’ by the Foreign Office. The check allows consular staff to conduct safety inspections at resorts to prevent similar accidents. The families of the victims campaigned for safety improvements, resulting in the installation of a safer wall near the Maria Elena building. Despite these efforts, a 25-year-old British tourist was injured at the same location.
In another tragic incident, a 23-year-old bar worker, Danielle Finlay, was found dead at the Maria Elena complex four years ago. She lived alone in the building and was discovered next to a suicide note. The young woman had expressed feelings of isolation and exhaustion in her note. The recent 25-year-old patient’s condition was described as “very serious,” and he was under intensive care at Son Espases Hospital. Concerns about the damaged fence perimeter had been raised by locals to the council, but temporary solutions were not fully addressing the safety risks.
