Man, 20, Found Dead at Bottom of Elevator Shaft During First Vacation with Girlfriend: 'Heart-Wrenching'
Tyler Kerry's body was discovered in a hotel in Turkey on Nov. 29
The family of a 20-year-old man is speaking out after he was found dead at the bottom of a hotel elevator shaft in Turkey while reportedly on his first vacation with his girlfriend.
Tyler Kerry was discovered on Friday, Nov. 29, inside the shaft at a hotel in Antalya, according to The Times and The Telegraph.
Turkish police said that Kerry, of Basildon, Essex, had been drinking before his death at the Trendy Lara Hotel and that "there was no intervention" to the outside of his body or any "proof of firearm or sharp object injuries," BBC News reported in an update on Friday, Dec. 6.
At the time of the incident, Kerry had only been on the trip less than two days with his grandparents, Collette and Ray, his girlfriend Molly, and other relatives, according to the GoFundMe page organized by Alex Price, Kerry's great-uncle. The fundraiser noted it was a first trip for the couple.
Related: Grandmother Plummets Down Empty Elevator Shaft in New Jersey Apartment Building
BBC News reported that the elevator at the hotel had been out of use at the time.
Turkish National Police, the Turkish Embassy in London, U.K., the Trendy Lara Hotel and the travel agency company TUI Group didn't immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comments.
According to the GoFundMe, Kerry was found in just his underwear, and the family is trying to raise funds to pay for his funeral and launch a criminal investigation into his death, suspecting his death had been "suspicious." The page has raised over $7,000 so far.
While speaking to The Times, Price said that Kerry had stayed out later than his family members the night before his body was found, as he was watching a Manchester United soccer game on television.
Related: 71-Year-Old Man Dead After Plunging Down Elevator Shaft in Pennsylvania
“He was a young man at the beginning of his life,” Price told the outlet. “He had a girlfriend who he was devoted to and it was their first holiday as a couple. I think it was Tyler’s first time abroad."
“He was energetic, likeable, approachable, friendly and very devoted to his family and looked after his younger siblings,” he added, according to the U.K. newspaper.
Kerry's vape was found with apparent blood stains on it on the hotel's first floor, his brother, Mason Read previously told BBC News. He led the search for Tyler before his body was discovered.
Related: 10-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Crushed by Elevator, Police Say
According to the report, some of the family had been having a drink at the hotel bar in the early hours of Nov. 29 when Kerry, who had reportedly fallen asleep on a sofa, went missing.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
"Molly ran over, dropped to her knees and just started screaming 'Tyler, get up'," Read, 18, told the outlet of Kerry's girlfriend's reaction to finding his body.
He added, "It was heart-wrenching, heartbreaking. I never, ever thought I would see anything like that in my entire life."
Read the original article on People