A 21-year-old man died just hours into his first lads' holiday in Benidorm, an inquest has heard. Harvey Dominy, from Merthyr Tydfil, was found on the floor of his hotel room on the evening of July 16, 2024. Toxicology reports showed cocaine, MDMA and alcohol in his system.
The inquest at Pontypridd Coroners' Court heard that Mr Dominy had travelled to the Spanish resort with three friends. He began struggling to breathe and collapsed in the hotel room in front of friends Liam Mason and Levi Davies. The friends had bought cocaine and MDMA after arriving and taken the drugs together on the day of his death.
Mr Mason sent a video to a Snapchat group chat showing Mr Dominy slumped on a balcony chair, then a second video showing him lying on the floor looking 'grey', along with a message saying: 'He's gone.' The friends did not know the local emergency number, so Mr Mason left the room to alert hotel staff. Emergency services arrived at 10.47pm and confirmed he had no vital signs.
A post-mortem examination gave the medical cause of death as cardiac respiratory arrest, with the underlying cause recorded as an acute reaction to psychoactive substances. Coroner Kerrie Burge noted 'numerous inconsistencies' in the evidence but concluded the death was drug-related. She expressed condolences to the family.
Mr Dominy's brother, McKenzy Lee-Dominy, said the family was still grieving the loss of their mother. He said: 'Despite facing some horrible tragedies recently, I know that I need to keep writing to keep living.'
