Half-naked student plunges to death from hotel window during forfeit after losing poker game

A British student has died after he  crashed through a fifth-floor hotel window while on holiday in the Spanish holiday island of Majorca.

University of Essex student Mark Day was on holiday in the notorious party resort of Magaluf when the accident happened on Sunday night.

He had been drinking with friends and had rashly accepted a dare to run along his hotel corridor wearing only his socks and pants.

However, it appears that the high-spirited 20-year-old lost his balance as he careered towards a window at the end of the passageway.

His friends watched in horror as Mr Day smashed through the glass and fell over 40ft to his death at the three-star Majorca Beach Hotel in Magaluf.

Paramedics tried desperately to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Spanish police source said yesterday: 'The dead man had been playing cards with friends and the forfeit for losing was to run along the hotel corridor in his underwear to a window at the end.

'We're not clear yet whether he slipped because he lost his balance as he ran with just his socks on or whether he was running too fast and couldn't stop in time.

'But what is clear is that he crashed through the window and fell more than 40 feet from the corridor which was on the fifth-floor.

'We  believe the victim had been drinking and that may also have impaired his judgement.'

Although Spanish police have ruled out any foul play, an investigating judge has now taken charge of a routine probe into the death.

Magalluf, Majorca where Mark David Day fell to his death at the Majorca Beach Hotel

Mr Day's friends Marc Smart and Steve Kimberley, who were both on the holiday too, were yesterday both helping the detectives with their enquiry.

The pair were also desperately trying to contact Mr Day's parents, who are believed to be in America on holiday, in order to inform them about the tragedy.

Mr Day, from Braintree in Essex, was yesterday described as an extremely popular student at the university in Colchester where he was captain of badminton team.

His girlfriend Katie Barlow, 20, was yesterday too distraught to comment, but wrote on the Facebook internet networking site: 'I'll love you for ever and ever and I'll never stop.'

The three-star Majorca Beach Hotel is located directly opposite the beach in Magaluf.  It has it own supermarket, snack bar, sun terrace and children's playground.

The resort of Magaluf has become a magnet for young British holidaymakers keen to let their hair down.  As a result it has a high rate of drink-related accidents.

Only last Monday a 18-year-old was seriously injured after he too fell from a fifth-floor balcony in the town.