Hugging friends fell over seafront wall on Spanish holiday

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Jayden Dolman (l) and Daniel Mee
Image caption,
The men, Jayden Dolman (l) and Daniel Mee were holidaying in Spain

Two friends lost their balance while embracing near a seafront wall and fell nine metres (30ft) on to the beach below, an inquest heard.

Daniel Mee, 25, and Jayden Dolman, 20, died on 3 July 2019 during a holiday in Alicante, Spain.

The men had been "larking about" taking photographs when they toppled over a railing, the inquest in Taunton was told.

Mr Mee was pronounced dead at the scene while Mr Dolman later died in hospital.

Somerset coroner Tony Williams said their friend Lewis Higgins witnessed what had happened.

"He said he and his friends Jayden and Daniel were walking from the villa to the nearest beach.

"They were taking pictures while they were walking. Daniel embraced Jayden. He saw them both close to the railings. Then they fell."

Drinking during the day

Mr Higgins told Spanish authorities the friends had been drinking during the day.

The inquest focused on the death of Mr Mee, a plumber from Bridgwater, as Mr Dolman's body was not repatriated to the UK.

It heard toxicology tests found the amount of alcohol in Mr Mee's blood was 215mg per 100ml of blood. The legal drink-drive limit is 80mg.

Mr Williams said Mr Mee's cause of death was a head injury and recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

He said: "Daniel and Jayden are hugging close to the railings and during that, they have lost balance, they have gone over the railings and unfortunately fallen over where there is a steep drop of nine metres on the other side.

"Unfortunately, they have sustained injuries that have proved fatal."

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