Disgusting anti-tourism group convicted after mocking death of British teen who fell from Ibiza hotel

A Spanish anti-tourism group has been condemned as “despicable” and “incomprehensibly sick” after they ridiculed the death of a British teenager who fell from the sixth floor of an Ibiza hotel.

Law student Emma Ramsay, 19, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, died in the early hours of Tuesday morning after she fell 80 feet (24 metres) from the balcony of her holiday resort.

MailOnline can reveal the tragedy is believed to have occurred after she tried to climb from one balcony to another at the Vibra District Hotel in the party town of San Antonio.

Her death has since been ridiculed by an anti-tourism group that keeps a gruesome ranking of tourists who die at waterfalls in the Balearic Islands, sorted by nationality.

The so-called Balconing Balearic Federation uses the word ‘balconing’ to describe the dangerous act of climbing between balconies or jumping into lower pools.

On the day of Mrs Ramsay’s death, the group posted a link to a news article about her death, with the headline: ‘Comeback’.

A Scottish minister is now demanding that the website and associated social media accounts be closed.

Christina McKelvie, MP for Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse and Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, said: “This is utterly disgusting and my condolences go out to the families of all those targeted by this organisation.

‘It is reprehensible that anyone would want to exploit and use tragic deaths in such a cruel way.

“The sooner the organization is shut down the better. Social media organizations should take all possible measures to remove such abhorrent content from their sites.”

A guest at the Vibra District Hotel where Miss Ramsay died added: ‘This website and X account are sick to the core. They need to be shut down for good.

“The people behind this should be prosecuted. How can they get away with mocking the families of dead people?”

MailOnline has passed details of the website, which says it is based in Països, Catalonia, to the Spanish police Guardia Civil.

A message from a reporter to the group’s X account, demanding to know why they felt it was appropriate to joke about the death of a 19-year-old girl, went unanswered.

MailOnline first reported the existence of the website in June this year, reporting that the website awards two points for a death and one point for an injury.

Spanish police have confirmed they are treating Ramsay’s death as an “accident” and that alcohol was a factor.

A local business owner near the hotel where she died said, “I heard she fell while climbing from one balcony to another.

“I think she was going to see her friends in another room, and she somehow slipped. It happened on the side of the hotel and she fell on the sidewalk. It’s a terrible tragedy.”

Emergency services arrived at her aid around 3am after she fell, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two of her traumatised friends who were on holiday with her are said to have received ’emotional support’ from the Spanish authorities.

Ms Ramsay, who was about to start her third year of law studies at Strathclyde University, posted a series of TikTok videos of herself happily dancing with friends in Ibiza nightclubs in the days before her death.

Her mother Barbara Smith paid tribute to her ‘angel Emma’ in a social media post, saying: ‘I don’t even know where to begin.

“You are my daughter, my best friend in the whole world and I will miss you more than words can ever express. Rest in peace my sweet angel and sleep tight, mommy loves you so, so much.”

Susana Gómes-Sellés, spokeswoman for the Vibra Hotels chain, said: “We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family in these difficult times.

‘We also want to make it clear that our company complies with all safety and security legislation.

‘Moreover, all the information we have comes from the police, following the statement of the friends who went with (Emma) and shared a room with her.

‘We understand that this is a very sad situation for everyone and especially for the family.

We will not comment on the behavior of others, nor on their publications.’

Lorna Lawson, principal of St John Ogilve High School, where Emma was previously headteacher, said: “We are shocked and saddened by the heartbreaking news of the sudden passing of our former headteacher, Emma Ramsay.

‘Emma was an incredibly kind, hardworking, intelligent and talented student who contributed greatly to our school community.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. Emma will be missed and will always have a special place in our school.”

Monica Lennon, the Labour MP for Central Scotland and a friend of Ms Ramsay’s family, said people in Hamilton were devastated by her death.

She said: ‘It shows how one vibrant life can affect so many others. People are still in shock and will feel this loss for a long time, but for her family, and especially her parents, people just feel so desperately sad. For any parent, this is your worst nightmare.’

The Balconing Balearic Federation, which also sells merchandise, launched in 2022 and now has more than 55,000 followers on its X account.

The organization has morbidly called the Britons “masters and gentlemen of this sport” and the victims who died “dead athletes.” It reads: “Congratulations to everyone who made this possible.”

The group, which describes itself as a “Darwinian touristophobe,” claims it provides “social critique” on issues surrounding tourism.

When the milestone of 100 deaths was reached on the islands – including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza – a sign appeared reading: ‘Dear fans, we are celebrating.’

The recent series of balcony deaths in Germany has been described as a “triptych of boxes” and a “new technical-tactical demonstration”.

Friends who have paid tribute to Miss Ramsay include Paris Mcgoldrick who posted: ‘I don’t even know where to begin with how perfect our Emma was. I loved everything about you and always will.

“Heaven just got the most beautiful angel they will ever have and I am eternally grateful that I get to call you my friend. I will cherish the moments we shared together forever, Em.

“I love you forever my girl, you will never be forgotten.”

Ella Redfearn shared a photo of herself and Emma sitting on the edge of a lake, writing: ‘Rest in peace my girl. A total ray of sunshine and the kindest soul, you will forever be in my heart.’

Another friend, Kimberly Barrie, added: “Rest in peace my girl. Emma Ramsay, thank you for introducing me to the purest and most beautiful soul. I love you forever.”

Niamh Anderson said: ‘Our beautiful angel. I will be forever grateful to call you my friend. You will be forever young my girl, never goodbye, only see you later.

“The greatest ray of sunshine that ever walked the earth and the greatest blessing that heaven ever received.”

Another wrote: ‘The most beautiful girl with the purest soul. You are truly one of a kind and I will miss you so much.’

A fellow student said: ‘So tragic. Emma was in my class at university and she was so welcoming to everyone.’

They added that she was “always willing to go the extra mile for others.”

A spokesperson for the University of Strathclyde described Emma as a ‘much loved member of our student community’.

He said: ‘We are shocked and saddened by her death. Everyone at the university extends our deepest condolences to Emma’s family and all those affected by this terrible incident.’