A British holidaymaker died after falling 20 feet when a wooden bannister rail collapsed, an inquest has heard. Father-of-two Darren Silcox, 56, was one of two men who fell into the atrium stairwell in an apartment block on Lanzarote, Canary Islands, in the early hours on October 25.
Mr Silcox from Cwmbran, Gwent, was standing with another Brit when the protective railing on the stairwell balcony is reported to have “collapsed”. Gwent Coroner’s Court heard he was pronounced dead at 3:30am, with medics confirming he had died from his injuries in the fall. The other man was rushed to hospital where he received treatment for severe injuries, the court heard.
Mr Silcox was on holiday with family at Galeon Playa Apartments in the resort of Costa Teguise on Lanzarote.
The opening of the inquest heard Mr Silcox fell into an atrium stairwell “following the collapse of a wooden bannister”, The Mirror reports.
Gwent Coroner’s Court was told the local civil guard was conducting an investigation into his death.
Area coroner for Gwent, Rose Farmer, said she was opening the inquest “due to a death from injuries from a fall”.
She said preliminary investigations suggested Mr Silcox died “due to a traumatic brain injury due to a fall, skull fractures and skull lacerations”.
Mr Silcox was a shopkeeper and ran two stores in Cwmbran.
Locals speaking to The Mirror shared their shock and sadness over his death.
Mr Silcox’s wife reportedly died last year following an illness.
According to the BBC, Torfaen county councillor David Daniels described Mr Silcox as a “lovely guy”.
He said: “Darren and his wife [Kim] were at the heart of the community and had ran the shops for many decades.
“Everybody who has grown up in the area would know the shops and we called in there every day after school. He was very kind to us and he was very generous.”
The inquest has been adjourned until a full hearing on July 20 2026.