British holidaymaker, 32, who was escorted off airplane in Turkey after drunken bust-up along with his companion fell to his demise days later, inquest hears
A British holidaymaker who got into a drunken argument with his partner and had to be escorted off a plane died after a suspected fall just days later, an inquest heard.
Ben Crook, 32, had been drinking on the way to the airport during a family trip to Turkey to celebrate his birthday and continued to consume alcohol on the plane.
An inquest heard he argued with his partner during the flight and was escorted off the plane by security after breaking both of their phones – meaning he could not be contacted.
Ben was last seen in Kaleiçi, the old town district of Antalya, wearing a black Versace shirt, black shorts, and white Nike trainers with a blue tick, before he disappeared and a search was launched to find him.
But his body was found the following day, September 24 – which happened to be Ben’s birthday – on stony ground at the bottom of a drop 0.6miles from the hotel where his partner and her two children were staying.
Ben Crook, 32, died after a suspected fall in Turkey less than a mile from the hotel where his partner and her two children were staying
Ben had been drinking before the flight and was escorted off the plane by security after breaking his and his partner’s phones
Coroner Rose Farmer said a post-mortem examination was carried out in Turkey but the results had not yet been provided.
Ben from the Abertridwr area of Caerphilly, was identified by his father after he flew out to Turkey to see the body.
After Ben’s body was flown home to Wales a second post-mortem was carried out and appeared to show he had ‘fallen from a height and died from injuries sustained, it’s believed, as a result of a fall’.
The inquest was adjourned for a full hearing to be held on April 17 next year.
After Ben’s body was found The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Turkey and we are in contact with the local authorities.’
A fundraising appeal to help his family has since raised almost £14,000 in his memory.
The appeal said: ‘Ben was a right character with an infectious smile, a wicked sense of humour and thanks to those random acts, stupid comments or busting out those dance moves, he could brighten up the dullest day and make you laugh til you cried.
‘So many great memories to cherish Ben boy, you really will be missed more than you will ever know.’
