Police are investigating whether a faulty handrail was to blame after an Irish man plunged to his death from a balcony in Tenerife.
Robert Delves (42), Rush, Co Dublin, a father of three, was on a family holiday in El Medano in Granadilla, in the south of the island, when he apparently fell 30ft from an apartment.
Emergency services were called to the apartments in Calle Tenerife just after 1am. Mr Delves sustained extensive head injuries in the fall.
The incident is being investigated by Tenerife police.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin has confirmed it is aware of the death and is providing consular assistance to the Delves family through the Irish Embassy in Madrid.
Mr Delves, is understood to have been on holiday in the Canary Islands with his wife Ciara and their children, aged 12, four and two.
He worked for his family printing business and was a popular and respected coach at St Maurs GAA club in Rush.
Vice-chairman of the club Owen McGinty said it was devastated by the tragedy. “He was a very popular member of the club and a very popular man locally,” he said.
He added that the local community in Rush were numbed.
Mr Delves was a man, he said, who gave voluntarily of his time to the club and also helped the club through his printing business.
A source at the Civil Guard in Tenerife confirmed an ambulance was called to the scene at 1.30am but that paramedics failed to revive Mr Delves.
“Although we are still awaiting the outcome of the investigation, it is thought the accident was caused by a handrail on the balcony which gave way,” the source said.
Leo Bisset, a friend of Mr Delves, said Rush was stunned by the death.
“Robert was an absolute gentleman, one of the nicest you could ever meet,” he added. “He was a superb footballer and golfer. You would never ever hear a bad word about Robert or his family, lovely people.” – (Additional reporting PA)