A British tourist, Antony Maxwell, tragically fell from a fifth-floor hotel balcony while heavily intoxicated during a holiday in Alanya, near Antalya, Turkey. An inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court confirmed the 21-year-old crane operator’s death on April 18 as accidental.
Maxwell, from Maldon, Essex, was on vacation with his girlfriend and a group of 13 family and friends to celebrate a child’s birthday. The fall occurred shortly after Maxwell went to the balcony to smoke on the first night of their trip. He suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at a hospital in Antalya.
Coroner’s Findings: Alcohol Intoxication Contributed to Accident
Essex area coroner Michelle Brown revealed that Maxwell had a blood alcohol level of 231mg per 100ml — nearly three times the UK’s legal driving limit of 80mg. The coroner described Maxwell as “profoundly intoxicated” at the time of the incident.
Brown explained, “He was with his girlfriend on holiday and they had just arrived at the hotel. She was unpacking, and he apparently went on to the balcony to have a cigarette and fell five floors.”
Turkish police briefly detained Maxwell’s girlfriend but released her the same day. Authorities ruled out third-party involvement in the tragedy.
Family’s Reflections on the Tragic Loss
Maxwell’s grandmother, Lynn Mann, expressed the family’s sorrow, calling the incident a “tragic accident.” She speculated that Maxwell may have been trying to get the attention of a friend staying in the apartment below, though the exact circumstances of his fall remain unclear.
Ms. Mann shared a memory of Maxwell’s excitement before the trip, recounting how he sent her a cheerful message from London Stansted Airport saying, “We’re on our way.” She added, “For all we knew, he was on holiday enjoying himself. Whatever happened, happened, and it was a fall.”
The family has accepted that they may never fully understand the precise events leading to Maxwell’s untimely death, describing it as a heartbreaking accident.
