Alton Towers worker plunged to death from holiday balcony hours after engagement

13 March 2024 , 09:12

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It will never be known what caused Stephen Willits to fall from the third-floor balcony

An Alton Towers worker fell to his death from a hotel balcony just hours after his engagement.

Stephen Willits fell from the third-floor and was left with traumatic injuries in the Greek holiday island of Corfu. He was said to be 'heavily intoxicated' after celebrating getting engaged to his girlfriend hours earlier. Stephen had been sharing the joyous news with guest, friends and family back in the UK.

An inquest, however, has ruled no-one will ever know how or why he suffered the fatal plunge. Stephen, from Uttoxeter, East Staffordshire, had worked at Alton Towers for five years and managed the attraction's vending machines, He was affectionately known as ‘Mr Fix-It’ among fellow workers.

StokeonTrentLive reports his sister Leslie Willits said: "He was the nicest person ever, not a bad bone in his body. He was the best uncle ever.” In August, 2020, Stephen and his fiancée had returned to their room after a meal and drinks at the bar. But around an hour later Stephen fell to his death when his fiancée was in the toilet.

The Greek holiday island of Corfu where Stephen Willits fell from the third-floor balcony (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The inquest heard Stephen had 'mild depression' but had no history of suicidal thoughts or acute mental health illness. Daniel Howe, Staffordshire assistant coroner, said: “Stephen died as a result of falling from height. He seemed to be in good spirits. He had proposed to his girlfriend that day and was happy about it. He made positive comments to family, on Facebook, and to other residents at the hotel.

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"I’m satisfied that he was heavily intoxicated from the toxicology report. Why he approached the balcony, I cannot determine.”

Stephen worked at Alton Towers in Staffordshire (AFP via Getty Images)

In an unrelated case on the same island, The Mirror reported how a British policewoman who died on holiday in Corfu was almost certainly killed by injuries from an "accidental fall", Greek authorities said.

The 22-year-old woman, worked for Surrey Police and had been staying on the island was found on a side street in Kavos in the early hours of Friday. Leading coroner Ioannis Aivatidis said the woman likely died from a "low level fall".

Mr Aivatidis then said he would be carrying out a full examination including toxicology tests on Monday after spending two hours at the scene on Friday. He said the woman sustained a severe head trauma, with no evidence she had been attacked.

He said: “Her head injury was compatible with a low level accidental fall,” he said after rushing to Kavos where the young holidaymaker was discovered dead in a side street outside a bar in the early hours of Friday. I examined her for at least two and a half hours [on the road] and I noted there was alcohol on her breath.”

Graeme Murray