British tourist died after tinnitus led to Magaluf hotel balcony fall

A young British holidaymaker was killed after falling just two metres from a hotel balcony having lost his balance because he was suffering with tinnitus, an inquest has heard.

Sam Hill, 22, a plumber from West Yorkshire, had been on a night out with a friend on holiday in Magaluf on 11 September 2013 he fell from the emergency escape balcony at the Hostal Villa de Sol.

At an inquest in Bradford this week, coroner Sam Cariss recorded a verdict of accidental death caused by head injuries, and attributed the fall to a combination of tinnitus and alcohol.

Referring to the relatively short fall, he said Sam's skull was thinner than most people's, adding: "What we can assume happened is that Sam, due to his tinnitus, had overbalanced on the balcony and fell."

According to the Yorkshire Post, the court heard how Mr Hill had walked back to the hotel alone, and was found by a British holidaymaker who heard the fall.

Mr Cariss called his death a "tragic accident", and, talking to his parents, Vanessa and Steve, brother, Tom, and girlfriend Jodie Corbett, he said: "I can only try to imagine how difficult this has been for you. I wish you well as you treasure memories of happier times."

According to the Daily Mail, Mr Hill's father Steve said after the inquest: "He was just a lovely man with a great life ahead of him, sadly cut short.

"He will be greatly missed."

Related articles

British teen in Magaluf balcony fall

Car mows down group of Brits on holiday in Magaluf