Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
British Groom-to-be Dies During Benidorm Stag Celebration
Mourning follows the tragic death of a British groom-to-be who collapsed and died in Benidorm while celebrating his stag do. Oliver Holroyd, 29, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, passed away in front of his father and friends during the celebration last month. The incident occurred while he was seated at a bar, prompting an outpouring of tributes.
Tragic Incident at Funky Flamingo
Oliver Holroyd, a father-of-one, was enjoying drinks at the Funky Flamingo bar on March 22 when the unforeseen tragedy unfolded. He was with his stag party when he suddenly collapsed.
Emergency responders and bystanders, including paramedics, attempted resuscitation for over an hour at the scene. Despite their efforts, Mr. Holroyd was pronounced dead at the location.
He was scheduled to marry his fiancée, Paige Whiteley, in the upcoming month.
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Emotional Tributes from Loved Ones
Grief-stricken family members, his fiancée, and friends have shared numerous heartfelt tributes across social media platforms following the devastating news.
His mother, Karen, expressed her profound sorrow, writing, ‘We miss you so so much Oliver Holroyd. Our beautiful boy, life is just unbearable without you, love you to the moon and back kid… Can’t wait until we’re all back together.’
Paige Whiteley, his fiancée, shared her heartbreak: ‘My Oliver, I can’t believe this is real. This shouldn’t be real. I miss you so so much. My best friend, the father of our gorgeous little boy, the best dog dad ever, my fiancée, my soul mate.’
‘Nothing will be the same again but I promise you I will try my best for our little boy. I hope you can see us everyday and I hope I’m making you proud. I’m so sorry this happened to you my darling. I miss you so much.
‘I love you with my whole heart, always and forever. Until I see you again, baby. You’re my Waterloo. Yours forever.’
Ms. Whiteley also shared a link to a JustGiving page created by Oliver’s friend, Ben Capper, aimed at raising funds for the Stroke Foundation. Mr. Capper stated, ‘I’m running the Leeds marathon in his honour.’
Bar Staff and Witnesses Describe Scene
Funky Flamingo bar manager, Gaston Luciano, recounted to MailOnline the frantic efforts to assist Mr. Holroyd after he collapsed at the establishment.
‘I was doing CPR with the help of another customer,’ Mr. Luciano explained. ‘He was responsive for around 60 seconds and then there was nothing. We tried for around 15 minutes before the ambulance arrived, then they took over and worked on him for another 45.’
‘They gave him a shot of adrenaline and connected him to a machine, they did everything they could, it was so sad.’
Mr. Luciano described the emotional reaction of Mr. Holroyd’s friends: ‘His friends were in shock for the first minute or so and then it hit them what was happening, they were emotional and crying.’
Mr. Luciano mentioned speaking with Oliver’s father, who confirmed they were from Halifax and that Oliver was a father himself. He also added, ‘The guy and his fiancé were due to get married in May, he was so young.’
Reflecting on the broader context of Benidorm’s nightlife, Mr. Luciano, a father-of-two who has worked in Benidorm since he was 16, commented: ‘This was not my first time dealing with something like this. When people come here they forget everything, they drink a lot, take a lot of substances and can get carried away, they need to try and avoid that.’
It is important to note that there is no indication that Mr. Holroyd had used any substances before his sudden death.
Eyewitness Accounts of Emergency Response
Tracey Pilling, a holidaymaker passing by, witnessed the unfolding incident. She told MailOnline, ‘There were loads of people outside, we were just passing by, but there were several police cars and two ambulances… it was very sad.’
‘We moved on as we felt it was inappropriate to stand and watch, but we were told his friends were all standing outside.’
Ms. Pilling recounted searching online for updates the following day, stating, ‘We were obviously upset by the news and hoping for a better outcome.’
She had also posted on a Benidorm forum seeking information, mentioning the CPR administered by a bar patron prior to paramedics’ arrival.
Another witness responded online, ‘It was such a horrible and tragic thing to witness, I’ve never seen anything like it! I can’t stop thinking about him and his wife-to-be, and I’m sure his friends and family said he had a young boy, may he rest in peace.’
Social Media Captures Aftermath
A TikTok user, passing by the bar at the time, recorded the scene, initially mistaking the emergency presence for a serious crime. He captured footage of road closures, police vehicles, and ambulances.
Unaware of the tragic nature of the event, he captioned his video, ‘Be careful in Benidorm! Lots of police, road closed, and ambulances everywhere… hope everyone is okay!’
In the video, he remarks, ‘You know something major is going in the ‘Dorm when they’ve shut the road off and they’ve got two ambulances, police cars… holy moly.’
Approaching closer, he observes the crowd outside the bar, questioning, ‘What the smokes is going on? There’s even more police… there must be some form of accident, I hope they’re okay… it doesn’t look very good at all, not very good at all in fact.’
Possible Heart Attack Reported
Another Funky Flamingo employee indicated the incident might have involved a heart attack, stating: ‘The man had a heart attack and fell to the floor and hit his head hard. He started bleeding a lot from the head. They tried to resuscitate him with CPR while the ambulance was coming, but it was unsuccessful. When the ambulance arrived he was already dead. So sad, he was only 28 or 29, on his stag party with his father and friends. Supposed to get married in May.’
Police Confirm Death, Medical Cause Undetermined
Spanish National Police confirmed the death to the Spanish Eye, stating: ‘We can confirm that a man suffered some type of medical problem and died at the scene. He was treated by those present at the premises and then by the paramedics who responded to the call. The medical causes of the death are unknown.’