By Eliza Mcphee For Daily Mail Australia
00:42 14 Jun 2024, updated 02:15 14 Jun 2024
- Tyler Mason died on the night of March 14
- His family refuse to believe he took his own life
- His mother died just weeks before
- For confidential crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14
- READ MORE: Inside the tragic life of Charlise Mutten
A teenage boy who died after falling from a hotel’s 35th floor had tragically lost his mother to a car crash just a few weeks earlier.
Tyler Mason, 15, died after falling from the balcony of the Meriton Suites hotel in Parramatta, in Sydney‘s west, at about 11.30pm on March 14.
His death was initially deemed a suicide but his heartbroken family say the teen would never have taken his own life.
His mother had been travelling in a car with a male acquaintance in Queensland at the end of February when she was killed in a single-vehicle crash.
Tyler’s aunt Jo-Ellen Hall, who works as a mental health nurse, told Daily Mail Australia she’d been regularly checking in on her nephew after his mum’s death.
Tyler’s mum had battled drug addiction and he’d been placed into foster homes throughout his life.
Ms Hall said her nephew had tried to sabotage his placement in foster homes because he just wanted to be with his mum and ‘save’ her from her addiction battles.
He was reported missing in August last year. Ms Hall said he was on the run and it’s understood he was living with his mother at the time.
At the time of his death, Tyler had been under the care of the Big Brown House, an organisation that helps vulnerable children and families.
‘I put my nurses cap on and I said ”we need to talk about mum, how are you feeling?” and he said ”I’m OK I knew this would happen”,’ Ms Hall said.
‘I said ”you wouldn’t do anything silly would you?” and Tyler said ”oh no aunty Jo, only weak people commit suicide”.’
On the night of his death, Tyler had been celebrating a friend’s 16th birthday with five other teenagers in the suite.
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It’s understood Tyler had about three drinks over five hours yet just before 10pm, he became severely unwell, began foaming at the mouth and couldn’t walk or talk properly.
He fell from the balcony at about 11.28pm.
Hours earlier, he’d filmed himself singing and smiling in the elevator on the way up to the hotel room.
He was then seen dancing and singing along to Eminem’s Without Me with a female friend.
A police investigation remains ongoing into the incident – which was initially deemed a suicide.
‘There’s no way it was suicide,’ Ms Hall said.
‘It’s 100 per cent clear this boy was not capable of jumping off the balcony.’
Ms Hall found out about Tyler’s death early in the morning after he fell from the balcony.
She has since called police nearly 60 times trying to get answers into her nephew’s passing.
‘If it was suicide I wouldn’t be doing this. There is not one part of me that thinks it was suicide, absolutely none,’ she said.
Timeline of tragedy
On the night of his death, Tyler filmed himself riding in the lift up to the 35th floor.
‘You know where I’m at? Meriton Suites, my boy!’ he said, appearing happy and excited about the night.
Tyler was with five others in the hotel room. One was aged 18. The minors had to be signed in at reception.
When Tyler started to become unwell at about 10pm a call was made to an adult family friend.
That friend arrived at the Meriton but when nobody came down from the room to let him inside, he left the venue.
As Tyler’s condition got progressively worse throughout the night, he started vomiting, was stripped naked and put into the shower.
At about 11pm, Tyler was carried to a couch in the hotel room to lie down.
One of the teens in the room allegedly brandished a knife while it’s understood the group were arguing and shouting loudly at each other.
About half an hour later, Tyler fell from the balcony.
A second call was made to the family friend at about 11.34pm, with the adult rushing back to the hotel.
A call to Triple Zero was made just before midnight.
Ms Hall believes Tyler may have overdosed on drugs although this has not been verified.
She said as far as she knew, the other teenagers in the hotel room are yet to be formally interviewed by police and appear to be ‘laying low’ since the incident.
The teen who allegedly brandished the knife fled the scene after Tyler’s fall as they were subject to a court-ordered curfew, Daily Mail Australia understands.
In the first few weeks after Tyler’s death, his family were trying to come to terms with the fact he had supposedly taken his own life.
‘But after the funeral, things started to come out about why was he naked and why was he foaming at the mouth?’ Ms Hall said.
‘We have videos of him dancing and singing happily.’
Tyler was known to police and had spent time in juvenile detention, his aunt said.
Ms Hall claims that after his mum died, the teenager turned his life around and returned to school.
He had a 9pm curfew at the Big Brown House, with the organisation understood to have put a call into police when he didn’t return.
Ms Hall has said she’s been calling police almost every day trying to speak to the officer in charge of the investigation but claims she is being repeatedly ignored.
‘As if I am doing this for fun,’ she said.
A report for the coroner is due later this month. The coroner will then decide if an inquest should be held.
NSW Police said they do not comment on matters before the coroner and did not answer specific questions relating to the case.
The Meriton Hotel said assistance had been provided to police for their inquiries but could not comment further.
The CEO of Big Brown House, Christopher Brown, said the organisation was supporting the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Police with their investigation.
‘As it is an open Police investigation we are unable to make any comments at this time,’ he said.
‘We can confirm that our staff have followed policies and procedures and our deepest sympathies are with Tyler’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.’
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