A 26-year-old man died while on holiday in Spain after taking illicit substances before boarding his flight, an inquest has heard.
Paul William Jones, from Wattstown in Rhondda, died in hospital in Alicante after becoming “increasingly unresponsive” shortly after arriving in Spain.
Pontypridd Coroners’ Court was told that Mr Jones had a history of drug use. Coroner Rachel Knight said he had “likely taken an overdose of illicit substances” on 22 February 2025 before travelling to Spain for his holiday, according to WalesOnline.
“Upon arrival, he became increasingly unresponsive and was taken to hospital in Alicante,” she said.
Mr Jones’s condition continued to worsen, and he died at Marina Baixa Hospital in Alicante on 27 February.
A post-mortem examination found that he died from hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, a severe brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. The coroner concluded that this was the result of drug use.
The inquest heard there was “no evidence” that Mr Jones had intended to take his own life.
Ms Knight recorded a conclusion of a drug-related death. The medical causes of death were given as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and drug overdose.
