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Man Who Fell From Balcony Had Been Drinking, Report Says

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON

spthompson@tampatrib.com

Published: March 19, 2009

David Senior, the 26-year-old Illinois man who fell from a sixth-story balcony this week in St. Pete Beach, had had "several beers' at a bar down the street beforehand, according to a St. Pete Beach police report released today.

Tuesday, Senior met two women at the Undertow Beach Bar – Erika O'Neal, 30, of Tulsa, Okla., and Linda Steffen, 27, of Cherokee, Okla. – who he asked back to the Grand Plaza Motel, 5250 Gulf Blvd., the report states.

The two women gave conflicting accounts as to how Senior fell, the report says.

Steffen, who couldn't remember Senior's name, said that while they were in Room 614, Senior started to goof around outside on the balcony after she told him she was afraid of heights, the report states.

She said at some point he climbed over the balcony railing and held onto the railing with both hands, the report said. Then he would lean backward and pull himself toward the railing, Steffen told police.

While Senior was pulling his stunt, Steffen said she covered both eyes and screamed at him to stop, repeating that she was afraid of heights. "Steffen stated the next thing she knows, she takes her hands away from her eyes and he is no longer by the railing," the report states.

"Then she suddenly hears a loud thump," the report said.

Steffen ran to the balcony, looked down and saw Senior lying on his back, the report states.

O'Neal, however, had a different rendition. She said Senior sat on the railing with his back toward the Gulf of Mexico and he fell.

His shoes were lying on the balcony floor facing the room, the report states.

Senior fell four stories onto the balcony area of Room 214 and got stuck, the report states. He survived the fall, and was transported to Bayfront Medical Center, where he was in fair condition today according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Steffen said Senior had had "several beers" at the beach bar.

The room was not in Senior's name.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336.

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