5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Ibiza Rocks selling party tickets despite suspending events after balcony plunge deaths
Evan Thomson, of Aberdeen, and Gary Kelly, from Dundee, died this month after falling from their hotel balcony in Ibiza.
The Ibiza hotel where two Scots fell to their deaths within weeks of one another are still selling party tickets despite saying they were pausing future events.
Evan Thomson, from Aberdeen, fell to his death from his Ibiza Rocks hotel balcony on Monday July 7. The 26-year-old tragically fell from the sixth floor while on holiday celebrating his birthday.
Just two weeks later, on Monday, Gary Kelly, 19, from Dundee died after he fell from the third-floor of the hotel just after midnight.
Following their tragic deaths, Ibiza Rocks announced that they would be suspending all events.
In a statement, the hotel said: "We are deeply shocked and devastated by the recent incidents that have tragically occurred.
"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.
"All customers will be informed directly via email."
However, tickets for events from this Saturday are still available to purchase online, starting with their weekly LoveJuice Ibiza Day Party.
Ibiza Rocks are charging holidaymakers £17.35 for general admission and £26 for a Daylife pass, which includes a food and drink voucher.
The hotel is hosting an R&B Affair Day Party on Sunday, which promises to be the island's biggest R&B party, which is priced the same as the previous day's event.
Dizzee Rascal was scheduled to play at the hotel yesterday as part of the venue's '20th birthday celebrations' but that was postponed. However, Rudimental are still set to perform on July 30 for the anniversary, with tickets still available to purchase online.
Following Evan's death his loved ones raised questions about the hotel safety, slamming how the party destination handled the situation.
Evan's friend Blair Robertson slammed the hotel, saying they tried hard to 'get things back to normal' following the death.
He added: 'Security took us away to front desk. Paramedics didn't arrive for about 30 minutes. Forensic officers didn't speak English. We were just standing there, not knowing what was going on. Reception gave us false hope.
"We heard the jet washes cleaning the ground where Evan died. That was the worst thing for us"
While Evan's sister Teila said that there needed to be 'higher safety precautions', adding: "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."
Yesterday, Ibiza Rocks issued a safety notice on their social media following the deaths, saying their thoughts 'remained with the families' of Evan and Gary.
They wrote: "The tragic incidents of the past few weeks have deeply affected many. We continue to work closely with the authorities and our thoughts and support remain with everyone impacted.
"Much of the hard work that goes into safety and security in hotels and venues across the world happens behind the scenes. With thousands of guests passing through our doors every summer, it takes a collective effort from our team, security and local partners to maximise safety for all.
"In times like these, care matters - but so does action. We have zero tolerance for any behaviour that puts our guests or our team at risk and we are building on the strong work we already do to go even further.
"Out of respect and privacy for the people involved, we don't usually comment on individual reports posted online, but that certainly doesn't mean we're not always listening. We're committed to working with anyone who raises solid concerns so that we can establish the facts and take the appropriate steps.
"Our hotel remains open and more information on a future events programme will be shared as soon as possible."
The hotel also noted that it is working to improve balcony safety. They continued: "Balcony safety is something we take very seriously, and our hotel meets all the applicable building regulations.
"Alongside that, we're introducing further safety measures and working to raise more guest awareness to help encourage responsible use and keep everyone safe."
Ibiza Rocks did not respond to the Record's request for comment.
