At least 12 people have died in drowning incidents across Spain in just three days, marking one of the deadliest weekends of the year on the country’s beaches, rivers, reservoirs and swimming pools.
The victims include children, pensioners, swimmers, a diver and a kitesurfer, with fatalities recorded from Andalucia to Cataluña, Cantabria, Valencia and Madrid.
The tragic toll began on Friday in Torrox, Malaga, where an 80-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman drowned at Playa de las Lindes.
Emergency services were alerted by beachgoers who spotted the pair – believed to be German – in distress in rough sea conditions.
Despite the rapid response of the Guardia Civil, Local Police and paramedics, both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Saturday brought a further wave of tragedies.
In Almeria, a 31-year-old woman died after getting into difficulty in the water at the notorious Playa de los Muertos in Carboneras.
Witnesses attempted to rescue her using a paddleboard, but strong currents prevented them from reaching safety.
Maritime Rescue deployed a helicopter which located the woman alive, but she later died despite efforts to save her.
Just hours later, a 12-year-old girl drowned at Costacabana beach in Almeria city after disappearing while swimming.
A major emergency operation involving police, Maritime Rescue, Civil Protection and paramedics managed to locate her and bring her ashore. However, CPR attempts were unsuccessful.
In Cataluña, an 18-year-old man died after jumping into the Llobregat River near l’Ametlla de Merola, Barcelona, while swimming with friends.
When he failed to resurface, emergency services launched a search operation. Firefighters eventually recovered his body from beneath the water.
The same day, an 80-year-old French diver died near Cadaques on the Costa Brava after failing to return to the surface during a dive.
His body was later recovered around three metres underwater near the island of s’Encalladora.
Cantabria also recorded two fatalities on Saturday.
A 43-year-old man from Vizcaya suffered a cardiac arrest while swimming at Oriñón beach near Castro Urdiales.
Despite 40 minutes of resuscitation efforts, he could not be saved.
Later that evening, another man died at nearby Brazomar beach. Authorities have not yet released further details about the incident.
The fatalities continued on Sunday.
A 77-year-old man died while swimming at El Rihuete beach in Mazarron, Murcia.
Fellow bathers pulled him unconscious from the water before emergency crews arrived. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, while a 69-year-old woman required treatment for an anxiety attack after witnessing the tragedy.
In Valencia, a 70-year-old man was found floating in the sea at Daimus beach. Paramedics performed CPR but were unable to save him. Authorities believe he may have suffered a medical episode while swimming.
Another fatality occurred in Chiva, Valencia, where a 79-year-old woman was discovered floating in the swimming pool of her home by her husband after he woke from an afternoon nap.
Emergency responders were unable to revive her.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, firefighters recovered the body of a 57-year-old man from the San Juan reservoir after he disappeared while swimming close to the dam wall.
The victim was located underwater by a specialist drone team using thermal imaging equipment approximately one hour after the search began.
The deaths add to growing concerns ahead of the peak summer season.
According to Spain’s National Drowning Report, compiled by the Royal Spanish Lifesaving and Rescue Federation, 126 people had already lost their lives in aquatic incidents across the country by the end of May.
Last June proved to be the deadliest month for drownings in Spain in a decade, with 73 fatalities recorded nationwide.
Authorities continue to urge swimmers to exercise extreme caution, particularly in areas with strong currents, rough seas or where lifeguard services are not yet operating.
