Residents watched in horror as paramedics desperately fought to save an 18-year-old who plunged to his death from a block of flats.
The teenage victim, who has yet to be formally identified, was at a party in St Mary's Court, Victoria Avenue, Southend, when he is believed to have accidentally fallen over the third floor flat's balcony railings in the early hours of Saturday.
An 18-year-old eye witness told the Echo he was dozing off at a friend's flat when he heard a "hollow thump" as the teenager's body landed on the concrete.
He said: "I heard lots of people shouting but I didn't quite realise what had happened until I went upstairs to see my friend and we stood out on the balcony.
"The police and ambulance were there and paramedics were pumping his chest.
"It was an awful sight and I couldn't believe what I was seeing."
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