Nobody ever expects a visit to the hotel pool to have this ending. A British holidaymaker has tragically died in Ibiza, leaving his family searching for answers as police continue their investigation.

British tourist dies after entering hotel pool

A 64-year-old British holidaymaker has died after going down a waterslide into a hotel swimming pool in Ibiza, leaving his family devastated and fellow guests in shock.

Emergency services were called to a hotel in Cala Tarida, in the town of Sant Josep de sa Talaia, at around 11.30am on Saturday, July 11 after reports that the man had become unconscious in the swimming pool after using a waterslide.

Hotel staff and other guests rushed to help, beginning CPR before paramedics arrived. A defibrillator was also used as specialist medical teams fought to save his life. Despite prolonged resuscitation efforts, doctors were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Reports say the man was holidaying with his wife and daughter, who were at the hotel when the incident happened. Authorities have not released his identity while enquiries continue.

Investigation continues as cause of death remains unknown

Spanish authorities have confirmed there is no indication of foul play, while investigators are waiting for post-mortem results to establish exactly what happened. Early reports suggest officers are examining whether the man suffered a sudden medical emergency, such as a cardiac event, before or immediately after entering the pool. At this stage, there is no evidence that the waterslide or pool equipment malfunctioned. Police will submit their findings to the investigating court as part of the standard procedure for an unexpected death in Spain.

Fresh reminder of water safety risks in Spain

Sadly, the latest tragedy comes during a summer that has already seen a number of fatal incidents in Spanish waters. Incidents recently reported a deadly June in which at least 13 people lost their lives at beaches, swimming pools and inland waterways across Spain. A horrific reminder of the importance of taking extra care around water.

A flash of green hair among San Fermín’s red-and-white runners became one of Pamplona’s strangest sights this weekend. But the American ‘Joker’s’ attempt to film beside the bulls on July 11 may now cost up to €6,000, and police have repeatedly stopped his return. 

How a green-haired Joker became the main character in Pamplona’s bull run

Among the white shirts, red scarves and tightly packed runners of San Fermín, one man decided not to blend in with the crowd. With bright green hair, a painted white face, dark eyes and an exaggerated red smile, the American performer known online as Straightdroplace appeared dressed as Batman’s famous enemy during the first bull run on July 7.

El Joker se presenta en la Plaza de Toros de Pamplona durante las fiestas de San Fermín, y pasa esto: pic.twitter.com/fJb83C6Rxd

— Palo Justo (@PaloJusto) July 9, 2026

Spanish reports identify him as Lacey Mrzena, a visitor from Chicago who has previously used the Joker character at crowded events in the United States. He continued appearing on the Pamplona route over the following mornings, adjusting parts of his make-up but retaining the green hair, metallic-looking teeth and grin that made him easy to follow on television.

His appearances soon started to go viral on social media. He ran close to the bulls, posed for cameras and was knocked to the ground by a young cow during the vaquillas, the traditional event held inside the bullring after the morning run.

What gave the Joker’s performance a serious price tag

The cameo became considerably more expensive during the fifth encierro, or running of the bulls, on Saturday, July 11. Footage showed the Joker holding up a phone near the entrance to Pamplona’s bullring while the animals and other runners were still moving behind him.

Municipal Police officers intercepted him inside the arena and issued a proposed sanction for recording during the run. He was then removed before the post-run festivities could begin.

El “Joker de los Sanfermines”: De la viralidad al rigor legal

​#Sanfermines2026
​#Pamplona
​#JokerSanfermines
​#EncierroPamplona
​#NoticiasPamplona
​#PolémicaSanfermines
​#ViralSanfermin
​#SeguridadEncierro
​#JokerEncierro pic.twitter.com/Dh5BYIYy8S

— Tome Nota MX (@TomeNotaMX) July 13, 2026

Pamplona’s Bull Run Ordinance classifies the unauthorised use of any image or sound recording device inside the route as a serious infringement. Navarra’s legislation allows serious offences to be punished with fines ranging from €601 to €6,000, depending on the circumstances.

The final amount has not been confirmed for the Chicago Joker. He currently faces a proposed sanction that could reach that amount. 

Why the Joker costume was not the part that broke San Fermín’s rules

Pamplona’s regulations do not specifically prohibit dressing as characters or theatrical face paint. They do, however, ban clothing that obstructs the race, unsuitable footwear, recording equipment, touching or deliberately attracting the animals, and carrying objects that could endanger other runners.

Other runners are sneaky with new technology available to them. Municipal Police had already removed 54 pairs of smart glasses from runners during the first five encierros of 2026 because they could be used to record inside the route. Police said recording has become an increasingly common problem as participants chase footage to post online. A phone or hidden camera can become another distraction in a race that covers roughly 850 metres and usually lasts only a few minutes. 

San Fermín’s Joker returned but police were already waiting

Being removed on Saturday did not end the character’s week in Pamplona. He returned on Sunday, reportedly with less face paint but the same unmistakable green hair, and officers stopped him from participating in the sixth bull run.

On Monday morning, July 13, local reports said he was again intercepted after climbing onto a balcony in Plaza Consistorial to watch the seventh run. He was later released and departed on a scooter while calling for respect and cheering for San Fermín.

With the final encierro scheduled for 8am on July 14, Pamplona has one more morning to discover whether its most recognisable unofficial character attempts another appearance.

There was a time when children’s dream job wasn’t being an influencer, a footballer or a movie star, It was digging up dinosaur bones. For millions of children growing up in the 1990s, Jurassic Park wasn’t just another trip to the cinema. It started an obsession. Dinosaur encyclopaedias flew off library shelves, museums became favourite family days out and back gardens were transformed into makeshift excavation sites as children everywhere became convinced they were only one shovel away from making the discovery of a lifetime, I was one of them.

Like countless others, who grew up  fascinated by dinosaurs, watching Sir Sam Neill bring a roll that we could only imagine in our dreams to life seemed like everything was possibly, he wasn’t the fearless action hero Hollywood usually gave us. He was something far more inspiring. He was intelligent, curious and endlessly passionate about uncovering the past and he had no problem standing up to a giant T-rex. He made science exciting and convinced an entire generation that becoming a palaeontologist or potentially owning a dinosaur was the greatest job in the world.

Today, the man who inspired my childhood dreams and those of many has died, Sir Sam Neill passed away peacefully in Sydney at the age of 78, surrounded by his family, bringing to an end a remarkable career that quietly became part of millions of lives.

The man behind Dr Alan Grant

Although already an established actor, it was Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park that cemented Sam Neill’s place in cinema history. His portrayal of Dr Alan Grant became one of the decade’s most recognisable characters. Unlike many Hollywood heroes, Grant relied on knowledge and curiosity rather than brute strength, proving intelligence could be just as heroic.

The film became a cultural phenomenon. Children suddenly knew the difference between a Velociraptor and a Dilophosaurus (although the nerds in us realised that Hollywood had mislabelled some of them and blown their size out of proportion), museums filled with young dinosaur fans and fossil hunting became the dream of a generation. For many of us, it wasn’t just a film. It shaped our childhood and part of who we are today.

From dinosaurs to history books

As I grew older, my fascination with dinosaurs never really disappeared, but my interests gradually shifted towards military history and period dramas. Once again, Sam Neill seemed to appear at exactly the right moment. His portrayal of Lieutenant Commander Vasily Borodin, the executive officer aboard the Soviet submarine Red October under Captain Marko Ramius, his character provided warmth, humour and humanity amid the Cold War tension.

Later in his career he took on the roll as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in The Tudors remains some of his finest performances. Like many people, I’d only known Wolsey as Henry VIII’s powerful chief minister from history books. Neill transformed him into a complex, deeply human character who brought history vividly to life. First he inspired childhood curiosity through dinosaurs. Later, he helped many of us discover a deeper appreciation for history.

A career that grew up with us

Neill’s career stretched far beyond those two roles, with acclaimed performances in The Hunt for Red October, Dead Calm, The Piano, Peaky Blinders and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Across five decades, he became one of the industry’s most dependable actors.

Away from the cameras, Neill won admiration for speaking openly about his diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 2023. Earlier this year, he revealed he was cancer-free, making news of his death all the more unexpected. Tributes have poured in from fellow actors and fans remembering his talent, warmth and humility.

A legacy beyond Hollywood

Every generation has actors whose performances become woven into the memories of growing up. For many people in their thirties, forties and fifties, Sam Neill was one of them. He inspired children to dream about discovering dinosaurs before later introducing many of us to historical figures we had previously known only from textbooks. Somehow, as our interests changed, he was still there, taking on roles that continued to capture our imagination.

For me, he’ll always be Dr Alan Grant, the man who convinced one dinosaur-obsessed child that there was actually a possibility that dinosaur could once again walk on the earth. Years later, he became Cardinal Wolsey, reminding me that history wasn’t confined to dusty pages but could be brought vividly to life by the right actor.

Few performers leave behind a legacy measured not only by awards or box office success, but by the memories they helped create. Sir Sam Neill did exactly that. For countless children who grew up believing dinosaurs might still be waiting to be discovered, and for adults who later watched him breathe life into history itself, his legacy will endure for generations to come.