Getting Out of Hand
In the past two or three years, there have been far too many reported disappearances and deaths of British people whilst on holiday in popular tourist destinations.
Let's start with a case that is in the news right now (November 2025) concerning a British police officer who was found dead at the side of a main road in Corfu, Greece, on the first day of her holiday (1st September 2023).
22-year-old Hannah Emily Byrne’s death was claimed to have been caused by a fatal head injury as a result of a fall from several metres. Where have we heard this before?
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22-year-old Hannah Byrne was a serving police officer with Surrey Constabulary
The narrative runs that Hannah had chosen to stay out when her friends returned to the hotel and had been plied with methanol-laced alcohol before she fell to her death on the first day of her holiday, but something smells very suspicious.
It is right that, according to a post-mortem examination, Hannah died from a traumatic head injury, but the ‘fall from a height’ explanation seems to be bandied about just a little too easily in this and similar cases.
Hannah was well-loved by a very supportive and loving family, and her work colleagues liked her greatly. Chief Superintendent Chris Colley, Divisional Commander for East Surrey, said: “Hannah’s death has been a shock for everyone who knew her. She was a bright, enthusiastic and respected officer just at the start of her career in policing, and she will be sadly missed. “
Hannah’s family are absolutely broken by her untimely death. The family described her as “extremely kind, funny, and caring”. They went on to say, “Our beloved Hannah was beautiful inside and out.
Now, let's look closely at the death itself; Yannis Aivatidis, the coroner, said a postmortem had confirmed that Hannah had fallen from a height of several metres. The coroner’s explanation is: “Findings included fractures to her thorax, stomach and a small rupture of the spleen. But it was a traumatic head injury that killed her.
It remains unclear what the circumstances were that led up to Hannah falling and whether she was indeed alone at the time. However, thus far, no one has come forward with any information to indicate she was accompanied, but I feel she probably was.
The Coroner, Mr Aivatidis, said, “I believe she may have confused the building she was staying in and may have fallen attempting to enter the one she was found outside of in an unorthodox manner. I am sorry to say my opinion does not match his. There is far too much acceptance of “traumatic injuries from an unexplained fall” in these cases of Brits dying on holiday abroad.
Let's move away from Hannah’s case for a moment and look at other deaths of British tourists that have been reported missing and found dead in unexplained circumstances.
Jay Slater:
Reported missing whilst on holiday in Tenerife, Spain, in June 2024. He was 19 years old when he died, with his cause of death being named as ‘fatal skull trauma’ after a fall from a height of 20–25 metres
Nathan Osman:
Nathan Osman, age 30, from Pontypridd in South Wales, had taken a long weekend break with his pals to Benidorm on September 27th 2024, less than 24 hours later, he was found dead at the foot of a remote 200 metre cliff area. He had been in Benidorm for less than 24 hours.
The dad of four children had suffered severe head and abdominal injuries as a result of falling from a great height.
Gary Shearer:
This man is missing, presumed dead after he disappeared on the first night of his holiday in Lanzarote, in the holiday hotspot of Puerto del Carmen. Whilst 53-year-old Gary has not been located, Gary’s family say that whilst they accept that Gary is probably not coming back, they really want to know what happened to him.
So what is going on:
It seems that tourists should maybe rethink their holiday plans and keep away from popular resorts.
Isn’t it strange, these perfectly healthy people with no psychological issues all seem to have “lost their bearings” or “had their drink spiked” and ended up “accidentally falling from a great height”? I don’t buy it.
The authorities always dismiss the suggestion that there may have been criminal involvement and insist on the accidental death theory. In the case of Hannah, Mr Aivatidis said, “We know her death was an accident.” My reply to that is simple: “Mr Aivatidis, I don’t believe you, you are too fond of the accidental death claim, instead of investigating the truth.
The mystery deepens as the Corner, Mr Aivatidis, says that Hannah Byrne’s death was definitely an accident, yet at the same time, in a statement, Surrey Police confirmed that an investigation has been launched by Greek counterparts, and is ongoing, so which is it?
I will be following this case closely, and as developments come up, I will endeavour to report back. If you are aware of any similar cases, then please get in touch: [email protected]
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