The body of a man has been discovered on Huelin beach in Malaga.

The grim discovery on Saturday morning brought a dramatic halt to a multi-day search for a missing swimmer.

Emergency services were alerted just before 8.20am after a caller reported a lifeless man lying near a beach bar, outside the water.

Paramedics arriving at the scene could only confirm his death.

At this stage, authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the deceased.

However, the discovery comes just days after a man vanished after entering the sea at nearby Misericordia beach on the night of April 29.

That incident triggered a large-scale search involving land, sea and air units, which had been ongoing throughout the week.

The operation was due to resume again on Saturday morning, with boats from Salvamento Marítimo, the Red Cross and the Guardia Civil ready to take part.

Instead, the search was suspended immediately after the body was found.

The two beaches lie side by side, raising strong suspicion that the cases could be linked, although officials have so far stopped short of confirming this.

A forensic identification is now expected to determine whether the body belongs to the missing man.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.