British Man’s Death in Hotel Lift Shaft in Turkey Described as a ‘Nightmare’ by Grandmother

The grandmother of a British man, Tyler Kerry, 20, from Basildon, Essex, has stated that a family holiday to Turkey became a “living nightmare” following his discovery with fatal injuries in a lift shaft. Mr. Kerry was found on Friday morning at his hotel, situated near Lara Beach in Antalya. Collette Kerry, his grandmother, reported that Turkish police informed her they are investigating his death as suspicious, with the circumstances remaining unclear. She reiterated, “It’s not a holiday any more, it’s a living nightmare.” The family had arrived in Turkey on Wednesday. Mr. Kerry was discovered deceased less than 36 hours after their arrival at the hotel. He was on holiday in the Mediterranean seaside city with his grandparents, Collette and Ray Kerry, his girlfriend Molly, and other family members. Mrs. Kerry recounted being awakened early on Friday morning by another grandson knocking on her door to inform her that Mr. Kerry had fallen at the Trendy Lara Hotel. She stated, “We followed him to the basement of the hotel and Tyler is lying at the bottom of a lift shaft, the lift was closed and he had… just a pair of boxers and socks. He was flat on his face.” She added, “They are saying they are treating it as a suspicious death, but it will be up to the prosecutor to decide if that’s what it is going to be.” Mrs. Kerry further expressed, “It doesn’t seem real. It’s like I’m in a living nightmare.” Concluding, she remarked, “It’s a mystery about how he ended up there.” She also commented: “My brain feels like spaghetti, I’ve been non-stop fighting for justice for my boy.” She continued, “I’ve had no time to grieve for my lad because I don’t know what’s happened to him.” She concluded this sentiment by saying, “I have non-stop cried and every time I close my eyes all I can see is him lying at the bottom of the lift shaft.” Mrs. Kerry characterized her grandson as “a smiler” who was “full of life, enjoying his holiday and the people he was meeting.” She further described him, saying, “He’s a lovely boy, very family orientated and very protective.” She added, “He was the best thing that ever happened to me. I loved him with all my heart and I’m so lost without him.” Mr. Kerry (the grandfather) also stated that his grandson was “always happy and hard-working.” Mrs. Kerry reported that Tyler Kerry’s brother and cousin last saw him sleeping on a sofa in the hotel’s lobby. They departed for “a few minutes” to get a drink, but upon their return, he was no longer there, and his T-shirt and jacket had been left behind. She further mentioned that when asked about Tyler’s whereabouts, two hotel staff members indicated the lift shaft. Mr. Kerry stated that his grandson’s blood-covered trousers and a vape were discovered on the first floor of the hotel. The grandparents described their attempts to obtain information from hotel staff and police in Turkey as “extremely frustrating,” noting that at times it felt like they were “banging their heads against a brick wall.” Mr. Kerry’s remains are scheduled for repatriation at a later time. The BBC has reached out to Turkish police for a statement. A spokesperson for the Trendy Lara Hotel issued a statement: “We would like to share our heartfelt condolences to the family of Tyler Kerry who sadly passed away while on holiday at Trendy Lara Hotel.” The spokesperson added, “We will continue to provide support to Tyler’s family at this incredibly difficult time.” They concluded, “As this is a police investigation we are unable to comment further.”