A man has died after emergency crews rushed to a major incident at the luxury Harbour Hotel in Southampton on Thursday. The incident occurred at the five-star Leonardo Royal Hotel in Southampton Grand Harbour, located on Maritime Walk in Ocean Village.
Police cordon and evidence recovery
Police officers cordoned off the main entrance to the hotel, erecting warning signs marked "danger" and redirecting guests to a side entrance. Authorities were seen carrying several items of evidence from the scene, including a pair of Adidas trainers, a set of keys, a wallet and a drill. A body was later removed and loaded into a private ambulance, which arrived at the property shortly before 3.30pm.
As the response unfolded, the hotel's phone lines were temporarily rendered unavailable, and guests experienced disrupted services - including out-of-order lifts and a reduced menu at the bar.
Investigation and fire service response
Outside, investigators focused part of their search on a nearby red Kia Proceed. Officers retrieved a yellow ladder from the vehicle's boot before covering the car with a tarpaulin.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were initially dispatched to the site during the morning. A spokesperson said: "Firefighters were called to an incident at a hotel on Maritime Walk, Southampton shortly after 10 o'clock this morning.
"Crews left the scene at around half 11, having handed the incident over to South Central Ambulance Service paramedics."
Aftermath and ongoing updates
Fire crews left at 11.30am but an engineer van from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) soon arrived, with workers seen inspecting an outdoor utility room.
A member of the hotel staff characterised the event as a "medical emergency", reports the Sun. This is a breaking news story and is being constantly updated.
