British student died after accidentally hitting his head when he fell into the hotel’s swimming pool while on holiday, an inquest learns

A BRIT student died on holiday after falling his head in a hotel pool, an inquest has found.

Student Charlie Hopkins, 23, of Buckley, North Wales, tragically died while visiting a friend in Tulum, Mexico, on April 8, 2021.

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The inquest found it was a mystery how he fell into the water because no one else was in the pool when the tragedy happened at 1am.

CCTV footage showed Charlie walking through the hotel’s reception area in his briefs on a balcony on April 9, 2021.

The hearing was told that no one else was in the pool in Tulum, Mexico, but “very soon after” a camera captured the water in the pool being disturbed.

Another guest discovered his body at the bottom of the pool about five hours later.

Charlie, from Buckley, North Wales, had studied history at University College, London.

In a statement read at the inquest, his father, Mark, described him as “bubbly” and “the light and soul of every room he was in.”

He was an avid musician and strong advocate for LGBT rights.

He said Charlie had good friends in London, where he lived – but was happy to fly away on holiday when lockdown restrictions eased during the Covid pandemic.

He checked into the two-story Hotel Turquoise Petit in Tulum on April 8, 2021.

He was invited there by his buddy Alex, who lived in Mexico.

The investigation in Ruthin revealed that he had a video call with his parents almost every day while he was there.

“We became concerned when we didn’t hear from him for 24 hours,” Mr Hopkins said.

On April 9, they received the “devastating” call that he had been found dead.

His father said: “He was a lively, loving, trusting young man. He saw only the good in everyone.

“Charlie would always end a conversation with someone and say, ‘I love this person’ — that’s exactly the kind of person he was.”

Mr Hopkins’ family said his death “broken them” and turned their lives “upside down”.

An autopsy was performed in Mexico. His body was later repatriated.

The Home Office pathologist, Dr. Brian Rodgers, confirmed the cause of death as “a blunt head injury and drowning consistent with a fall from a height.”

John Gittins, chief coroner for North Wales East and Central, said there were some initial concerns that he had been attacked.

But the coroner said he probably hit his head somehow entering the pool, adding: “There is absolutely no reason to assume it was a premeditated act.”

He recorded a conclusion of accidental death.