NI family face ‘nightmare’ wait to get their son’s body back home from Majorca
THE father of a Northern Ireland man who died in Spain has spoken of the “nightmare” wait to bring his son home.
Aaron ‘Hendy’ Henderson (30) was pronounced dead on Tuesday, May 1 when staff at the Son Espases Hospital in Majorca switched off his life support.
Aaron, the father of four young children, who was from Coleraine, had been on holiday on the island with his girlfriend Danielle Baxter before he lost his life.
His family believe that Aaron was assaulted in the early hours of Sunday, April 29 while standing outside a bar in the Punta Ballena party strip of Magaluf.
His remains have still not been released, as local police continue to investigate the death.
“It’s hard for the family to stay strong, it will never get easier, but we just want to get Aaron home,” his father Paul Henderson told the Belfast Telegraph.
“It’s been a nightmare having him out there all this extra time, especially with his children waiting.”
He described his son as a bubbly character who was highly popular with customers at the family wholesale business in Coleraine.
“Aaron was standing outside a pub having a cigarette. Two witnesses,amanandawoman,said they saw this man just running and punching him,” Mr Henderson said. “There’s been stories in the papers that he was mugged, or he fell on his head. But that’s the real story, a man come out of the woodwork and Aaron went down. When I went out I asked the police (Majorca’s Civil Guard) if it was murder, but they would only say the investigation was ongoing.”
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “Our staff are assisting the family of a British man following his death in Majorca, and are in contact with the Spanish hospital services.”
Majorca’s Civil Guard have been contacted for an update but have yet to respond. The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust which is based in Newry, Co Down has been assisting the family in making arrangements to bring Aaron home.
“They’veofferedsomuchhelp and have been a great comfort to us,” Mr Henderson said.
The grieving family made the decision to donate their son’s organs.
John Walker, aka DJ Kutski, with Aaron Henderson (above right) who lost his life in Punta Ballena in Magaluf
“They pronounced his death on May 1, as they were keeping his heart going even though he was brain dead,” Mr Henderson said.“Itoldaboyatourhotelreception we’d donated his organs.
“He came round and opened
his shirt, telling us when he was six-months-old he got a new heart. It was a hard decision, but we knew it was the right thing to do.”
Back in Coleraine, Mr Henderson said that his customers were
heartbroken.
“Aaron was my sidekick at the company.
“They’ve all been saying about whatagentlemanhewas,always smiling and speaking to them.”
Aaron was also good friends with a well-known DJ, John Walker, who performs under the name of DJ Kutski. Posting online he said: “He was genuinely one of the most fun and entertaining people you could wish to be around.”