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7 months ago
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A British tourist died in a ‘freak accident’ after falling from the 5th floor balcony of a holiday hotel in Turkey on his first night in the resort, family sources have told MailOnline.
Antony Maxwell, 21, had stepped outside of the hotel room for a cigarette when he fell to his death, while his 33-year-old girlfriend was unpacking inside.
‘It’s a nightmare I just want someone to wake me up from and tell me it never happened,’ his mother Jade has told friends.
Crane operator Antony from Maldon, Essex, died of his injuries in the early hours of April 18, despite doctors fighting to save his life after the incident near Antalya, Turkey.
Family sources dismissed suggestions that he and his girlfriend had a row shortly before his death or that it was connected.
Antony Maxwell, 21, had stepped outside of the hotel room for a cigarette when he fell to his death, while his 33-year-old girlfriend was unpacking inside
After the incident, his girlfriend was interviewed by police, apparently as a witness.
The eldest of three children, Antony, known as Tony, is being grieved by his mother Jade, a 39-year-old retail assistant.
The family are raising money to help bring him home and with funeral costs and they have raised more than £4,500 of a target of £6,000 on a Gofundme page.
A family friend told MailOnline that Antony’s siblings, Harry, 13 and five-year-old Shelby, are struggling to come to terms with the fact he won’t be coming home, as is his mother.
‘Jade is in bits, everyone loved Tony,’ said the friend, ‘Jade feels so powerless so far away with very little information to go on.
‘She said she just wants to wake up or for someone to tell her it never really happened. All she wants is to bring her boy home now so that the family can grieve.
‘She’s spoken to Tony’s girlfriend who is equally distraught. It’s just a freak accident by the sound of it. They’re coming back on Wednesday, it’s just all so awful.
Crane operator Antony from Maldon, Essex, died of his injuries in the early hours of April 18, despite doctors fighting to save his life
Family sources dismissed suggestions that he and his girlfriend had a row shortly before his death or that it was connected
A family friend told MailOnline that Antony’s siblings, Harry, 13 and five-year-old Shelby, are struggling to come to terms with the fact he won’t be coming home
The family are raising money to help bring him home and with funeral costs and they have raised more than £4,500 of a target of £6,000 on a Gofundme page
‘We don’t know if the balcony was unsafe or what, but we were told that the hotel was checking them all the next day and that the rail was very low.
‘They had only just arrived in the resort and while his girlfriend unpack, Tony went outside for a cigarette, it’s horrific.’
The source described Tony as ‘the kind of young man who would help anyone. He was really getting into fishing and he had his whole life ahead of him. It’s such a tragedy.’
A message on the gofundme page from family friend Kirsty Quilter reads; ‘No mother should ever have to say goodbye to their child, if you can give anything to help bring this remarkable young man home to his family where he belongs we would be all be grateful.’
An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Turkey.’
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