Ibiza’s dark side exposed from 200 Brits dying to emergency services ‘facing collapse’

Ibiza has become synonymous with accidental deaths in recent times and this year alone six British tourists have lost their lives on the island that has a darker side

If you search Ibiza-related tags on social media you will be greeted by sunkissed youngsters – as well as the odd picture of the Final Boss^[1] or, of course, Wayne Lineker^[2].

But despite the glamorous portrayal^[3] on Instagram^[4], there is a darker side to the small island that has 50,000 inhabitants. Between 2010 and 2023, 197 Brits died. These are the most recent figures from the Institute of Statistics of the Balearic Islands.

August and September were the months with the highest death rates. And this year, a further six Brits went to Ibiza^[5] without making it back alive, including a 22-year-old who plunged from his hotel balcony^[6].

San Antonio^[7] (Sant Antoni de Portmany) is where most of the accidental deaths have arisen and this is the area where you will find the popular bars and clubs.

Wayne Lineker’s O Beach Club is also there along the bay, which has attracted the likes of Liverpool manager Arne Slot^[8] and England stars Jack Grealish^[9] and Jude Bellingham^[10].

Five of the six mentioned deaths occurred in San Antonio with a handful of locals speaking with The Times^[11] about whether there was a sinister side.

Manuel Sendino Lopez, who manages the Ibiza and Formentera Hotel Federation, told the publication: “It is true that there has been an increase in accidental deaths among young people, possibly due to alcohol and drug use and age-related recklessness.

“These events cause us immense pain, as we think about the families of these young people, but they unfortunately happen every year.”

He added that Ibiza had a high number of young people and that it was normal to have incidents, just like in other tourist destinations.

A local pharmacy technician spoke of unsettling experiences like drunk youngsters coming to him claiming they couldn’t breathe. He also said twice a week people arrive and declare that they don’t know what is happening to them after taking something.

Former Love Islander Zara McDermott^[12] travelled to Ibiza for a documentary^[13] about its darker side, and she highlighted that drug dealers and organised gangs were attracted to partygoers.

During filming for Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island, she shadowed Guardia Civil^[14] officers, and one moment saw them rushing to the scene of a Rolex watch theft.

She recalled: “It was shocking when it happened. We got the call and we were there within a minute on the strip. I felt so sorry for this guy, he had been on his phone to his wife and a guy had taken the watch. He tried to run after him and fell over. He was quite shaken up.”

As for drugs, she interviewed one dealer who had operated in Ibiza for 18 years, and he told her people in his profession could earn €50,000 every summer.

The presenter said: “When I post I am in Ibiza, I actually had people posting and offering me drugs. It is interesting how people are using social media to sell drugs.

“It is not just something you find down a back alley, it is on your Instagram. Everyone knows drugs exist everywhere and are somewhat part of Ibiza culture, but having been sat in the back of a police car many times and learning… street dealers are making huge amounts of money because they are taking the risk.”

More than 800,000 Brits flock to Ibiza each year and in recent times there has been a reported rise in pink cocaine^[15], a drug that originates in Medellin, Columbia.

The drug can contain traces of MDMA or ketamine, opiates and cocaine and it can lead to blurred vision, panic attacks, anxiety, strokes and heart issues.

Speaking to Majorca Daily Bulletin, one police source warned: “It’s so powerful that it causes severe hypertension and can lead to heart failure. It’s a bomb because it is ecstasy and amphetamines in powder form. People don’t know what they are consuming.”

Brits make up a fifth of all foreign tourists in Ibiza and according to IBESTAT, tourists spend more than €3billion on the holiday hotspot every year.

However, in July, tragedy struck multiple times, after two Scottish men, Evan Thomson, 26, and Gary Kelly 19, died within two weeks of each other. They both fell from balconies at the popular Ibiza Rocks hotel in separate incidents.

After Evan’s death, his friends and loved ones claimed normal operations resumed just 90 minutes later^[16], and they also hit out at social media posts uploaded within hours to promote a pool party.

His pal, Blair Robertson, told the Press and Journal^[17]: “We heard the jet washes from the ground cleaning the area where Evan died and it had only been 90 minutes or so since he was found. That was the worst thing for us to hear – how fast they tried to get things back to normal.”

After the death, a spokesperson for the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, which has hosted musicians like Dizzie Rascal and Calvin Harris, said: “This is a truly tragic and extremely sad situation. Our senior management team onsite did everything possible to help the police with their investigation into events leading up to Evan’s death, and to provide constant support from our customer services manager to Evan’s friends.

“That has included them having 24-hour access to our senior manager for any help or questions and giving them permission to pass on her mobile number to Evan’s family should they wish to call us direct. They were very appreciative of all the help and support at such a difficult time. We are deeply saddened by Evan’s death and our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends at this truly difficult time.”

Evan, from Aberdeen, died days after another Brit passed away in hospital after plunging from a supermarket carpark in San Antonio.

And just two weeks after Evan died from the six floor balcony, Gary Kelly, from Dundee, lost his life after plunging from the third floor of the same hotel.

There is no suggestion the hotel is to blame for any accidental deaths and it has a zero-tolerance to drugs and inappropriate behaviour.

According to one survey last year, 54% of UK nationals in Ibiza reported to have consumed drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and amphetamine.

And in recent weeks, the Ibiza ambulance service reported being at risk of collapse, because of people having bad drug related experiences. The ambulance workers’ union claimed a third of callouts every night were nightclub emergencies and that they were under-resourced to deal with the volume of incidents.

It called on club owners to contract private ambulance services to help with the problem and José Manuel Maroto, president of the local health services union, told elDiarios.es^[18] : “It’s inconceivable that businesses with an income of millions of euros a year can’t provide this service which is saturating the emergency services at the expense of the local population.

“The clubs are obliged to employ nurses and other health workers but not ambulances, the cost of which is borne by public services.”