Incidents
Due to its height and prominent areas, there have been several incidents at the London Hilton on Park Lane:
In October 1992, Darren Newton died from a failed BASE jumping attempt from the top of the London Hilton on Park Lane.[25]
In September 2000, Alastair Morris was found dead on the pavement, having jumped from the 25th floor.[26]
In September 2001, Ajay Goyal, a director of a cosmetics company, jumped to his death from the 14th floor of the hotel.[26]
After the Goyal incident, Hilton said that it had "permanently" locked all bedroom balcony doors. A spokesman said this week: "Security is of utmost importance to Hilton. All windows can only be opened by five inches, and balconies can only be opened if there is more than one registered guest in the room."
In September 2002, Jason Kiernan, suffering from psychological illness, jumped to his death from the 25th floor. His suicide note was found outside his room.[26]
On 21 September 2007, a man in his 20s fell to his death from the 19th floor after a three-hour standoff with police negotiators. Emergency services responded to reports of the man standing on a ledge early in the morning, after the man had broken a window to gain access to the ledge. Despite efforts by negotiators to prevent the fall, the man landed on the roof of a second-floor building and was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Police did not disclose the man's identity or details regarding the circumstances leading to his fall.[27]
In April 2012, Darren Liddle, a Credit Suisse employee, died by suicide from the 19th floor due to work-related stress and substance abuse issues.[28]
In March 2014, an unidentified man fell from the 28th floor. Despite efforts, police were unable to identify him, though his Oyster card suggested connections to South London.[29]
In January 2018, famous Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan was found dead in her room after accidental drowning brought on by intoxication.[30]
These incidents have prompted the Hilton to implement stricter security measures, including permanently locking balcony doors and limiting window openings, in efforts to prevent further incidents.
