Still unknown how man died in Turkey hotel fall

The grandmother of a man whose body was found at bottom of a lift shaft in a hotel in Turkey said she would continue searching for answers.

Tyler Kerry, 20, was on his first holiday abroad with his family and girlfriend at the Trendy Lara hotel in Kundu, near Antalya, in November 2024.

An inquest on Wednesday concluded that Kerry - from Pitsea near Basildon in Essex - died due to multiple injuries sustained as a result of a fall from height, but for reasons unknown.

Authorities in Turkey have said there were no grounds for prosecution, but Collette Kerry told the BBC she was "100% determined" to find out what happened.

The inquest at Essex Coroner's Court heard how Tyler "was a happy, lovely and energetic child" who was "very family-orientated" and had a passion for football.

He was excited about the holiday "which was intended as a special family trip".

Tyler had stayed up drinking with some of his family on the first night of the holiday, before falling asleep on a sofa.

His brother Mason said he went to get another drink but when he returned, Tyler had disappeared.

He was eventually discovered face-down at the bottom of a lift shaft, wearing just boxer shorts and socks. Paramedics were unable to revive him

Essex area coroner Michelle Brown said that when the family returned from the police station to the hotel a few hours later, "everything had been cleaned up and the lift was back open and operational as if nothing had happened".

"If it had happened [in the UK], it would have been sealed off," said Brown.

"Once you've lost that [evidence], you've lost it."

Tyler's family believe he was beaten up and thrown into the lift shaft, although the coroner said there was no evidence of any third-party involvement following three post-mortem examinations on the body.

His smashed phone and his blood-stained vape were found on the first floor, not with his body, and his trousers were also found upstairs outside the lift shaft.

The inquest heard that Turkish authorities believed Tyler may have been feeling unwell while under the influence of alcohol, and so opened a ventilation window in the lift shaft to get some air, before losing his balance and falling from a height of approximately 15m (49ft).

Tyler's family objected to the decision not to prosecute - pointing out his phone and vape had not been analysed - but their appeal was rejected.

An appeal has been lodged with the Turkish Constitutional Court over the case, but the coroner told the family she "had reservations" about whether they would receive the answers they sought.

"Certain countries are not as forthcoming as others, depending where in the world you've died," said the coroner.

"Turkey sadly is one of those countries that doesn't have reciprocal arrangements."

Brown recorded a narrative conclusion, rather than recording his death as an accident.

The inquest heard Tyler had "positive plans for the future", and his loss had "a devastating permanent effect" on his family.

Speaking to the BBC after the hearing, Collette said she was "relieved" that she and her husband could finally begin their grieving process.

"The fact that it's not suicide and it's not an accident makes me feel a lot better in myself because we know it's a fall, but we don't know how that fall occurred," she explained.

Collette criticised the lack of transparency from the Turkish authorities, saying more CCTV footage could have been provided than the one short clip she had been shown.

She said she had been left with "loads of unanswered questions", and was "very angry and upset" that somebody may know more about what happened.

"I'm not prepared to close that door - I am carrying on fighting for justice for Tyler," she said.

The Turkish authorities and the Trendy Lara hotel have not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

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