Holiday plunge horror
British tourist falls from hotel balcony and kills man on ground
A BRITISH holidaymaker died after falling from the seventh floor of a Spanish hotel and landing on a local man, who was also killed.
The Briton, named locally as Anthony Holmes, 49, crashed from a balcony onto father-oftwo Antonio Gonzalez.
The Spaniard, 43, had been enjoying a late-night drink with his wife and friends when he was killed instantly by the falling tourist. Mr Gonzalez was reportedly visiting the five-star hotel in Marbella to decide whether to hold his daughter’s communion there.
His wife was said to have been sitting next to him on the terrace when the freak incident happened shortly before 2am on Saturday.
Onlookers said Mr Gonzalez was singing ‘Happy Birthday’ with his friends to one of the group moments before he died.
Police are investigating how Mr Holmes came to fall to his death at the Gran Melia Don Pepe Hotel in the Costa del Sol resort. He is believed to have been on holiday with family but it is not known where in the UK he is from.
Managers at the beachfront hotel, one of the area’s most exclusive, have declined to comment.
Mr Gonzalez ran a popular gym in Marbella and had organised several charity fundraising events through his business. His wife works as a receptionist at another hotel in the resort and was lucky to escape serious injury.
Local reports said the couple were with friends and the group had moved to the first- floor terrace after an evening meal.
One acquaintance said: ‘He was a lovely bloke who lived a normal life. His wife was beside him. I can’t imagine the pain and shock she’s experiencing right now.’
A friend added in a Facebook tribute: ‘Today is a sad day in our hearts. Antonio has been tragically taken from us.’