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Markell Hope: Ohio man, 34, falls to death from 15th floor while attempting handstand from hotel balcony

'I heard screaming out of a woman’s voice that I have never heard in my entire life,' a hotel guest said

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: A tourist died after falling from a height of fifteen stories while attempting to do a handstand on the balcony of a hotel during Hurricane Ian. The incident took place at the Patricia Grand Hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at around 3.30 pm on Friday, September 30. The man has been identified as Markell Hope, 34, and originally from Akron, Ohio. 

According to the Horry County Coroner's Office, Hope suffered significant injuries due to the fall which resulted in his death at the site. Investigations are still being carried out by the Myrtle Beach Police Department.

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Celeste Powell, a hotel guest, told News13 that she, too, felt the building shake. An hour or so later, she heard a terrible scream. “I heard screaming out of a woman’s voice that I have never heard in my entire life," Powell said. She continued, "And all these people that were on the 19th floor were all looking around and trying to figure out where it was coming from." She further stated that she went down to the lobby of the building and saw Hope's body.

The statement that Hope's family issued to News13 was sent in the form of an email. They reported that Hope had spent his birthday, which was on September 29, at Myrtle Beach celebrating with friends and family. It was claimed that Hope's relatives had come to the hotel on Saturday in order to get her personal effects and things. “The family wants the reports and to see the original video footage,” the statement reads. “This is the only way to give the family some closure.”

The National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Ian made landfall just after 3 pm local time on September 28 near Cayo Costa, Florida, as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph.

Such incidents are not so uncommon. A similar mishap took place on September 25, when a young 24-year-old, British tourist reportedly died after falling from a balcony of Rosamar Hotel near the party resort of San Antonio on the island of Ibiza in Spain. The woman's partner is said to have alerted hotel receptionists as soon as the incident occurred. Emergency services responded to the scene shortly after, but couldn't do much to save her life.