Else Beekman
A 25-year-old British tourist is in critical condition after falling from the balcony of a hotel in Marbella, where he had been staying with friends.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Banús. Emergency services were alerted around 5.00 am, following reports that a man, wearing only underwear, had fallen from a balcony under unclear circumstances.
Drop equivalent to three floors
Local police confirmed to Málaga Hoy that the young man had fallen from a first-floor room, but due to the elevation of the ground below, the drop was equivalent to a third floor. The balcony overlooked the street. Emergency responders provided initial treatment at the scene before transferring the victim to the nearby Hospital Costa del Sol. Given the severity of his injuries, he was urgently moved to a larger hospital in Málaga the following day.
Friends unaware until police arrived
Friends of the man were asleep at the time of the fall and only learned of the incident when police arrived at their room. While investigations are ongoing, authorities have ruled out the possibility of “balconing”. This is a risky practice involving jumping from hotel balconies, often into swimming pools. All indications suggest the fall was accidental.
Not the first balcony tragedy in Marbella
This is not the first such incident in the area. Marbella has previously witnessed fatal falls from hotel balconies. In a tragic 2022 case, a British man in his 50s died after falling from the seventh floor of a hotel and landing on a Spanish man sitting on the terrace below. Both men lost their lives in the incident.
The current case has once again highlighted safety concerns around hotel balconies, particularly involving tourists.
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