Parents of British teen who died falling from balcony hope safety will be his legacy

Tom Channon, 18, fell seven floors at an apartment complex in Magaluf while on a trip celebrating the end of his A-levels
Tom Channon was just 18 when he fell to his death while on holiday in Spain
Tom Channon was just 18 when he fell to his death while on holiday in Spain
Handout
Miriam Burrell16 June 2022

Parents of a Welsh teenager who died after falling from a balcony hope a new educational package for young people will be his legacy.

Tom Channon, 18, fell seven floors, 65ft, while on holiday in Magaluf celebrating the end of his A-levels in 2018. He was the third Brit to die from a fall in the same resort that year.

Mr Channon, from Barry in Wales, is understood to have fallen from a raised walkway at the Eden Roc apartment complex after becoming separated from his group on a night out.

Now his parents have launched ‘Tom’s campaign’ in Wales to provide information and resources to keep young people safe while traveling abroad for the first time independently.

The packages - to be distributed in schools - include tips for sticking together and interviews with Tom’s parents and friends.

“We’ve been through horrendous times and our lives will never be the same,” Tom’s mother Ceri Channon told ITV Wales News.

“But, we wanted to ensure for Tom’s brothers and for his family that something positive continues in Tom’s name. This is his legacy.

She added: “It’s so easy to become a victim to all of this, but we know that Tom was too positive for that.”

Bilingual education packs are being sent to schools and colleges across Wales, and some students have already received them.

Tom’s dad John Channon told ITV: “In Tom’s memory this is positive, Tom will be seen to be helping other young people to try and avoid the awful thing that happened to him."

In June, 20-year-old Thomas Hughes, from Wrexham in north Wales, also died after falling from a walkway.

He was staying at a nearby hotel and investigators say he may have mistaken Eden Roc for his own accommodation.

In April, 19-year-old Natalie Cormack, from West Kilbride, Ayrshire, was killed while trying to climb from one balcony to another.

She had been working in a bar in the resort, and Spanish police believe she may have been trying to get in to her flat after forgetting her keys.

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