Police are investigating the death of a Irish tourist in Magaluf who was found in the middle of the street early on Monday morning as revellers celebrated England’s last-minute football victory over Slovakia.
The 45-year-old was found unresponsive in the resort’s Martin Ros Street near the raucous Punta Ballena strip after the alarm was raised around 4.30am this morning.
A security guard alerted local police, telling officers he had seen the man collapse and fall to the ground. Attempts to revive him at the scene proved unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
The dead man was identified by the hotel wristband he was wearing.
Police went to the hotel, which has not yet been officially named, to inform friends and relatives said to have been staying there.
Initial local reports had described the man as a 49-year-old Brit after he was found dead in the street and Calvia Town Hall, the local authority responsible for the party resort, subsequently said in a statement he was British.
But the Civil Guard, which is leading the probe into the incident, later revealed he was travelling on an Irish passport.
The 45-year-old was found unresponsive in the resort’s Martin Ros Street near the raucous Punta Ballena strip after the alarm was raised around 4.30am this morning. Pictured: Tourists are seen in Magaluf on Sunday evening
An autopsy is due to be carried out in the next few hours. The ongoing investigation into the holidaymaker’s death is being led by the Civil Guard. They are obtaining CCTV footage in the area.
A spokesman for Calvia Council, the local authority responsible for Magaluf, had said earlier: ‘A British tourist aged 45 died in the street this morning in the Magaluf area. It occurred around 4.30am. The dead man was staying in a hotel in the area.’
He added: ‘An employee of a local establishment alerted police, saying that a man was unwell and was stumbling around in the street.
‘Local police arrived and performed CPR but were unable to revive him. The Civil Guard has taken over the investigation to determine the cause of death.’
A Civil Guard source said: ‘This death does not appear to be crime-related in any way but the autopsy will be key to determining what happens next.’
England football fans are see on the streets of Magaluf after their team dramatically beat Slovakia to advance to the quarter finals of Euro 2024. It was not immediately clear if the man, who was found dead at around 4.30am, had been celebrating the result
England fans are seen celebrating the football result on Sunday night in Magaluf
Hoards of tourists filled the streets in Magaluf as they headed out to party on Sunday evening
It is hoped that CCTV cameras will be able to shed light on the incident, and an autopsy is set to be carried out in the coming hours.
Every summer, the Magaluf resort teems with thousands of tourists from the likes of Britain and Germany, looking to get in on the island’s night life. This has been particularly lively in recent weeks with the Euro 2024 tournament in full swing.
The man was discovered just hours after Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane dramatically kept England’s tournament hopes alive in the country’s round-of-16 clash against Slovakia, sending fans into raptures at home and abroad.
Things in Magaluf were already raucous before kick off, with fans packing out bars on the resort’s strip in anticipation of the match.
However, with locals becoming increasingly frustrated with the numbers of tourists flocking there each year, there have been growing tensions on the island.
Protesters have taken to the streets in several popular Spanish hotspots calling on local officials to introduce measures to limit the numbers of visitors.
On Saturday, more than 15,000 protesters took to the streets of Malaga to voice their anger. Marchers held up banners which read: ‘We feel strangers in our own city’ and ‘Malaga is for the people of Malaga, tourism forces us out.’
Thousands of residents take part in a protest to demand their ‘right to have a home’ and against mass tourism in Malaga, Spain, June 29, 2024
Majorca has been no different, with another 15,000-strong demonstration taking place on the island last month.
Those who organised the march promised at the time: ‘This is just the start of things.’
The group which calls itself Mallorca Platja Tour – Majorca Beach Tour in Catalan – started an online campaign urging locals to ‘occupy’ the island’s beaches on May 28.
A leading anti-tourist protester revealed to MailOnline last month that he will never stop Majorca’s war on British tourists.
Pere Joan, 25, a cultural heritage masters student in Palma and was one of the chief protesters at Menys Turism, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), who led thousands through the streets last month in a march against over-tourism.
After the protests, the Government of the Balearic Islands toughened drinking rules to fine people up to €1,500 (£1,350) for drinking in the street, a penalty that could be increased to €3,000 (£2,500) for a serious offence.
It also forced shops to stop selling alcohol past 8.30pm.
Protester Pere said Mallorca had become a destination for sex and binge drinking. He blamed this culture on Brits in Magaluf, the Mallorcan party town, and Germans in the other popular resort of Arenal.