Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Mother goes missing after daughter falls from Majorcan hotel balcony

Charlotte Bailey,Jack Doyle
Tuesday 23 October 2007 19:00 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Police in Majorca were searching last night for the mother of a British girl who fell from a hotel balcony.

Gianna Cooper, seven, is seriously ill in hospital after the fall from the fifth floor of the Hotel Samoa in Calas de Majorca. Her mother, Sara, has not been seen since the incident at 7.30am on Monday.

Police are searching the surrounding beaches and mountains and monitoring the airport and ports.

Gianna had been on a half-term break with her mother, her father Ian and two of her three brothers, police said. She was being kept in intensive care yesterday at Hospital Universitario Son Dureta in the island's capital, Palma. Her father and brothers were at her side.

Gianna suffered a broken jaw bone, fluid and blood in her lungs, a damaged liver and gall bladder in the fall.

A spokesman for the hospital said that she was transferred yesterday afternoon from a hospital in Manacor where she underwent surgery. Her condition was described as "serious but stable".

A police spokeswoman said: "We do not know where the mother is. There are witnesses who are speaking with police and staff at the hotel."

He added: "We are looking for the mother but at this stage we do not want to speculate as to whether she was involved."

Police said the investigation would be "objective", and would not be based on speculation.

Neighbours in Foxton, Cambridgeshire, said the Coopers had four children, Stephen, James, Jonathan and Gianna.

One neighbour, who lives next door to the Coopers' detached home in a quiet cul-de-sac, said: "The family has been here for about four years. Ian works for a pharmaceutical company. They are a lovely family.

"All we know is that they had gone on holiday. It's terrible what has happened."

Another added: "We're all hoping that Gianna will pull through. She's a lovely little girl."

Humphrey Carter, a journalist with the Majorca Daily Bulletin, said that Gianna appeared to have fallen about 10 metres (around 30ft) at the hotel on the east coast of the island.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in