The body of missing Belgian kitesurfer has been found off Murcia’s La Manga.
The grisly discovery was made on Wednesday evening, several hours after the 73-year-old was reported missing.
He disappeared while practicing wingfoiling (combination of wind and kite surfing) in the Mar Menor, the Guardia Civil said.
He was reported missing at around 3pm after heading out to sea in difficult conditions, with strong winds and rough water.
A family member told emergency services that he had entered the water near Camping Mar Menor, in the municipality of San Javier, and was last seen moving towards La Manga.
Following the alert to 112 Emergency Services, a search operation was launched involving San Javier Local Police and rescue boats from the Red Cross.
Teams searched both by sea and along the coastline between Tomas Maestre Marina and the southern end of La Manga.
During the operation, local police officers found sports equipment matching the missing man’s description – a yellow sail, a wingfoil board and a white helmet – among rocks in a hard-to-access area.
Shortly afterwards, at 7.12pm, officers reported the sighting of a body in the water, very close to shore.
Strong winds and heavy swell made access and recovery difficult, but firefighters eventually managed to retrieve the body from the water.
Medical staff were only able to confirm the man’s death. A post-mortem examination will determine the exact cause of death.
