Teenager who plunged from third floor of Ibiza Rocks named as Scots ice hockey star
A Scottish teenager who died after plunging from the third floor at Ibiza Rocks Hotel has been named as an ice hockey player from Dundee.
Gary Kelly, 19, died instantly in the fall at the same four-star hotel where Evan Thompson, from Aberdeen, lost his life just a fortnight ago.
Two ambulances were sent to the scene but paramedics say there was nothing they could do to save him.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Monday morning and the Civil Guard confirmed that he was a British national.
Gary's family have been left heartbroken following the news and tributes have been paid on social media.
Kharis Kelly wrote: Our hearts are shattered beyond words.
"Our handsome boy has gone to the other side, Absolutely no words.
"We are asking everyone to respect our privacy as a family while we try to navigate through this tragic news
"You'll forever be our boy Gary, Sleep tight."
Gary, who played ice hockey for both Dundee Stars and Aberdeen Lynx last season, has been remembered as a 'hugely talented and charismatic individual'.
A statement from Dundee Stars said: 'We are truly devastated to learn that Gary Kelly has tragically passed away.
'We send our thoughts and condolences to Gary's family, partner, and all his friends at this extremely difficult time.
'Everyone at the club including players, staff, management, and ownership are heartbroken to hear this tragic news.
'Gary was a hugely talented and charismatic individual who had a great future ahead of him.
'His loss will impact many in the ice hockey community and beyond. He will be sadly missed.
'We respect and support the family's request for privacy at this extremely difficult time.'
Officers confirmed in a statement that they were called to the scene at around 12.40am and a probe has been launched following the latest death at the hotel.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard added: 'The fall could be accidental based on the early information obtained from cameras but as part of the investigation possible witnesses will need to be located and interviewed. The results of the post-mortem will also be important to the investigation.'
In the days after Evan's death his loved ones raised questions about safety and blasted the hotel where he died over the way the situation was handled.
Evan's sister Teila said: "Ibiza is known for its partying and it just stuns me that they don't have higher safety precautions. Pray nobody else suffers. And, once it did happen, the hotel's response was just completely heartbreaking; almost as if it never happened. I pray no other family has to go through this."
Friends who were with Evan also claimed the hotel resumed normal operations just 90 minutes after his death.
On Monday, bosses at Ibiza Rocks said they were "deeply shocked and devastated" following the latest tragedy as they suspended all events at the hotel.
A spokesperson said: "Our priority is to support those affected and their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and to fully assist the authorities with their investigations.
"The safety and wellbeing of our guests has, and always will remain, our highest priority. Given the seriousness of the situation and out of respect for those involved, we believe it is right to pause our advertised events programme at this time."
Dizzee Rascal was scheduled to play at the hotel on Wednesday, July 23, as part of the venue's '20th birthday celebrations', while Rudimental were set to play on July 30.
Locals living nearby have complained about noise from parties and guests getting drunk.
Ibiza news website Noudiari, reporting on the latest death, said: "This hotel has been the scene of multiple incidents and deaths in recent years, some of them related to balconing, and the consumption of narcotic substances.
"The situation has generated concern among neighbours, who have complained about this situation, as well as the noise and insecurity that the establishment generates in the neighbourhood.
'This latest incident adds to a worrying statistic that has led some people to refer to Ibiza Rocks as the 'Death Hotel'."
Last Monday a 25-year-old British tourist died in hospital from injuries he sustained in a fall from a supermarket car park in San Antonio the previous day.
He was rushed to an intensive care unit at a private island hospital following the incident but the Nuestra Senora del Rosario Polyclinic confirmed he had succumbed to his injuries.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
8 minutes ago
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu secures impressive win over Naomi Osaka to reclaim British No 1 status
Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British No 1 ranking after winning her first meeting with four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington. Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. 'She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening round defeat to Maria Sakkari. It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and she has not dropped a set in three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese star gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only hitting partner Alexis Canter in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British number two beaten 7-6 (3) 6-3 by American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans ' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet. Elsewhere, Venus Williams fell in straight sets to Poland's Magdalena Frech in the second round. The 45-year-old became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004 after an opening-round victory over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday. Williams took an early 2-1 lead against Frech, but the 27-year-old responded with a dominant run of seven straight games en route to a 6-2 6-2 win.
The Guardian
18 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Bill Clinton reportedly sent Jeffrey Epstein note for birthday album
Donald Trump apparently isn't the only president that sent a birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein. 'The biggest name in the album' was Bill Clinton, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The ex-president's letter appeared alongside nearly 50 others, including other prominent celebrities and executives. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had authored a 'bawdy' letter to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 after he was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges. The letter was included in an album Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell compiled on the occasion of his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch, two Wall Street Journal newspaper reporters and the newspaper's publisher Dow Jones for libel and slander over the reporting. In Thursday's article, the Wall Street Journal provided additional details on the album, including names of some of the nearly 50 people who wrote to Epstein. They reportedly include billionaire investor Leon Black, fashion designer Vera Wang, billionaire media owner Mortimer Zuckerman, billionaire former Victoria's Secret owner Les Wexner, attorney Alan Dershowitz, model scout Jean-Luc Brunel and billionaire former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold. It also includes the British ambassador to the United States and Labour party politician Peter Mandelson in a section titled 'friends'. Epstein's former co-workers, Alan 'Ace' Greenberg and James 'Jimmy' Cayne, who he worked with at the investment firm Bear Stearns in the 1970s, also sent letters. The New York Times confirmed the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Thursday evening. 'The professionally bound birthday book had multiple volumes and included a table of contents,' the Journal reported. According to the newspaper, Clinton's note to Epstein read: 'It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends.' A Clinton spokesperson declined to comment to the Journal, instead referring the paper to a previous statement from the ex-president, saying he had cut ties with Epstein more than a decade before his arrest and was not aware of Epstein's crimes. Trump's letter to Epstein was far from the only note that was sexual in nature, according to documents the Journal reviewed. It describes a poem signed by Black that read 'Blonde, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically / With this net of fish, Jeff's now 'The Old Man and The Sea'', and a note from Wexner that included 'a line drawing of what appeared to be a woman's breasts'. Spokespersons for Black and Wexner declined the Journal's request for comment. A letter from Wang suggested Epstein star on The Bachelor. Wang did not respond to the Journal's requests for comment. And a note from Myhrvold promised photographs from a recent trip to Africa: 'They seemed more appropriate than anything I could put in words.' The images included 'a monkey screaming, lions and zebras mating, and a zebra with its penis visible', the Journal reported. A spokesperson for Myhrvold told the Journal the former Microsoft executive did not recall the submission, only knew Epstein as a donor to scientific research, and that he 'regularly shares photos of and writes about animal behavior'. The letter from Mandelson 'included photos of whiskey and a tropical island', the Journal reported. Mandelson referred to Epstein as 'my best pal' in the note. A spokesperson for Mandelson declined to comment to the Journal. As for the relationship between Trump and Epstein, the Times found that at least once before, Trump had written Epstein an admiring note. 'To Jeff — You are the greatest!' reads an inscription in a copy of Trump's book Trump: the Art of the Comeback, which belonged to Epstein. The message, reviewed by the Times, is signed 'Donald' and dated 'Oct 97' – the month the book came out. The Times also reviewed a previously undisclosed photo of Trump and Epstein with the singer James Brown. It is not clear where the photo was taken. Brown frequently performed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Trump owned the Taj Mahal casino.
The Guardian
24 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Raducanu races into quarter-finals with win over Osaka to regain British No 1 slot
Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British No 1 ranking after winning her first meeting with the four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington. Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world No 1, won Masters [titles]. She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but she then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening-round defeat by Maria Sakkari. It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and the Briton has not dropped a set against her in their three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only her hitting partner, Alexis Canter, in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British men's No 2 beaten 7-6 (3), 6-3 by the American 14th seed, Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2, 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet.
