From The Times Online
View Larger Map
"A British man has fallen to his death outside a bar in the New Zealand ski resort city of Queenstown.
James Patrick Smith, 25, from Kent, fell about 10m from a roof into an alleyway, police in the South Island city said today.
His body was found outside a backpackers' hostel and bar by a bouncer at around 1.40am NZT.
The death did not appear to be suspicious and initial investigations indicated it was an accident, Senior Sergeant John Fookes of Queenstown police said.
The Times understands Mr Smith had been escorted from the Altitude bar earlier and may have climbed the building’s fire escape in a bid to get back in.
Rear view of the building
The general manager of Base Queenstown backpackers' hostel and Altitude bar, Matt Hirst declined to comment and referred inquiries back to police. He said Mr Smith had not been staying at Base.
Senior Sergeant Fookes said Mr Smith had been on holiday in New Zealand with a friend and had been looking for work in Queenstown."
Different reports say that Mr Smith fell from a stairwell or a fire escape in an alleyway at the rear of the building. Judgement about whether or not his death was an accident should be reserved until a full and proper investigation has been carried out.
Another tourist meets an untimely end in NZ! how many does that make it now?
ReplyDeletewe all love you
ReplyDeleteanyone know james to be a trouble maker? i dont think so. whoever did this. ROT IN HELL
ReplyDeleteOur heartfelt condolences go out to James' family and friends at this difficult time.
ReplyDeleteQ: In some reports it says that an employee of 'Base' found James, in others that he was found by a bouncer/doorman - presumably from the 'Altitude Bar'?
ReplyDeleteQ: Was the person who found him the same person who'd asked him to leave the Altitude Bar earlier in the evening?
Q: Why was person who found him in the alley at that time of the morning?
Q: Some reports say an attempt at resuscitation was made whilst others state that he had already died when he was found, which is correct?
Lots of questions that need to be answered.
I wouldn't try and make a story about this being a suspicious death. People do silly things while under the influence of alcohol. There have been two other separate incidences in Auckland of a similar nature. One lept from a balcony and died while unsuccessfully attempting to land in the harbour. Another fell out of a window of a high rise building. Both were intoxicated. There is no sinister cover up here.
ReplyDelete