Thomas Channon death in Magaluf 'could have been prevented'

The death of an 18-year-old at a resort in Magaluf could have been prevented if simple safety steps were taken, a coroner has said.

Thomas Channon, from Rhoose in Vale of Glamorgan, was celebrating finishing his A-levels when he fell about seven floors over a knee-high wall at the Eden Roc complex in July 2018.

The inquest at Pontypridd was told steel bollards have since been built.

He was the third holidaymaker to die there in a year, the inquest heard.

Returning a narrative conclusion, coroner Graeme Hughes said "simple steps" of erecting a fence were not instigated after the death of Thomas Hughes from Wrexham in June 2018.

"These steps would have in all probability prevented Tom [Channon] meeting his death", Mr Hughes added.

He said Mr Channon was likely to have been "intoxicated and fatigued" but added: "I do not find Tom was ridiculously drunk or out of control".

A post-mortem examination found Mr Channon was just under twice the legal drink drive limit.

The group of eight had been drinking in the early hours of 12 July, having watched a World Cup football match.

One described Mr Channon as "drunk" and dancing. Another said he had been "disorientated" in the bar.

They last saw him at about 04:00 and became concerned at about 10:00 when they realised he was not at the hotel.

The inquest heard the spot where Mr Channon fell was "dangerous" due to the low height of the wall and the large drop.

Mr Hughes said he was not recording a conclusion of accidental death as there was an "absence of evidence" of how Mr Channon ended up at the base of the wall.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Channon's mother Ceri said she was glad there had been "recognition" from the coroner that the death could have been prevented.

"We felt from the word go that all they needed to do was put a sign up," she said. "Somebody just needed to alert the boys that something had happened there [five weeks earlier] but nothing had been done."