**Family Calls for Change After Father Dies Within a Day of Arriving in Benidorm**
The family of Nathan Osman, a 30-year-old father from Pontypridd, is demanding greater support for UK nationals whose loved ones die abroad, after he was found dead less than 24 hours into a Spanish holiday. The circumstances surrounding Mr Osman’s death have led to anguish, frustration, and a personal campaign for change after his relatives say they were met with indifference from authorities, both in Spain and back home.
Mr Osman, a father of four, travelled to Benidorm in September 2024 with friends, but tragedy struck soon after his arrival. He was discovered at the base of a cliff, and Spanish officials initially considered his death either accidental or a suicide. However, Nathan’s family quickly expressed doubts about this version of events. Speaking to the Welsh-language programme Y Byd ar Bedwar, his sister Alannah Hughes recalled the devastating moment she received the news by phone: “A Spanish number called and said, ‘Your brother has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff,’ and that was it.”
Unconvinced by the initial explanation and dissatisfied with the support they were given, the Osman family travelled to Benidorm themselves. Nathan’s brother, Lee Evans, described their decision as “instinctive”, driven by a desperate need to uncover the truth. “We’ve had to fight for evidence and for answers, but there is still so much we don’t know,” Lee said, capturing a sense of ongoing struggle.
During their own investigation, the Osman family compiled significant information to share with Spanish authorities. This included evidence that someone attempted to use Nathan’s bank card in the hours following his death and details of local properties with CCTV footage that, in their view, the police had previously overlooked. These findings provided sufficient cause for the National Police in Benidorm to reopen Nathan’s case, now treating it as a possible homicide.
Despite this progression, the family has voiced their concern that they have faced an ongoing lack of support, both abroad and from the UK Foreign Office. Alannah said, “We reached out to the police here in Benidorm. We had no help. No support from any authority.” This perceived absence of structured assistance has only heightened their distress and motivated their campaign for legal reform.
The family is now calling for the introduction of a statutory framework to guarantee consistent and clear communication for bereaved families of British nationals who die overseas. Supported by their local MP, Labour’s Alex Davies-Jones, they also advocate for designated points of contact and increased financial help with repatriation costs – such as the £7,000 required to bring Nathan’s body home.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office responded by stating: “Our staff stand ready to support British nationals around the world. In any given year, we support around 20,000 British nationals and their families. In cases of British nationals who die abroad, we can provide personalised support including practical information regarding processes in different countries.” Despite such assurances, families like the Osmans argue these promises have yet to match their on-the-ground experiences.
The campaign for change is rooted in the family’s traumatic experience, as Alannah emphasised: “We’re exhausted but we’ll keep fighting. We want families in the future, if they lose loved ones abroad, to have a structure that we didn’t have.” Lee added that their efforts are also for Nathan’s children: “We can look at the family, to Nathan’s children, and tell them we’ve tried everything and done everything to get answers.”
As the Spanish investigation continues, with the National Police in Benidorm declining to comment while matters remain ongoing, the Osman family’s calls for legislative action highlight the challenges many grieving families feel when tragedy strikes far from home.
Nathan Osman’s story will feature in Y Byd ar Bedwar: Damweiniau dros y dŵr, available to watch on S4C and BBC iPlayer, aiming to shed further light on a relentless family’s quest for answers – and on their hopes for future reform.