Holidaymaker died jumping between Ibiza balconies

A British holidaymaker fell to his death while attempting to jump between third floor balconies in Ibiza, a coroner has concluded.

John McKenna, 22, from Cumbria, was attempting to get to his own room when he fell head first on to the street below in Sant Antoni de Portmany in June 2023, Cumbria coroner Kirsty Gomersal said.

She said a combination of alcohol and drugs he had taken was likely to have played a part and concluded his death was due to misadventure.

The inquest in Cockermouth heard Mr McKenna's family had since raised thousands of pounds for a charity which aims to help young holidaymakers stay safe.

Mr McKenna, a Carlisle United-supporting electrician from Crosby-on-Eden, was seen jumping from a friend's balcony to his own at about 10:45 on 23 June 2023, the inquest heard.

A friend told Spanish investigators Mr McKenna was locked out of his room and his roommate was asleep.

The friend said the group had been "partying" and the fall had been an "accident".

The balcony had a hip-high railing that was "easily overcome", Ibiza police said in a report to the coroner.

A witness said they heard a scream and saw Mr McKenna fall and land head-first on the pavement.

An autopsy in Spain concluded Mr McKenna died from an "unsurvivable" head injury while alcohol, ketamine, MDMA and cocaine were all in his system.

The findings were corroborated by a Cumbrian pathologist after Mr McKenna was repatriated, the inquest heard.

Ms Gomersal said there were "no suspicious circumstances" and that he had intended to reach the safety of his own hotel room.

She said cocaine was known to increase risk-taking while the other drugs affected motor skills, adding the combination probably "more than minimally contributed" to his death.

In a statement read to the coroner, Mr McKenna's mother Sandra McKenna said he was "adored" by his family and friends and was an "incredibly kind, bright and hard-working person" who "lived life to the full".

She praised the community for their support and in particular Mr McKenna's football club Scotby FC which held matches in his honour and with the support of the local council, planted 22 trees around the pitch in his memory.

Ms McKenna said friends and family had raised more than £4,000 for the charity Jack The Lad, which was set up by the family of 19-year-old Jack Howe from Kent who died in a quad bike accident in Greece in 2019.

She said the charity supported the family and helped arrange the return of her son to the UK.

Ms Gomersal said the circumstances of Mr McKenna's death did "not define him at all" and according to tributes, he was a "legend and absolute gentleman".

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