A 66-year-old British woman has died while parasailing off the coast of Benidorm.
The accident happened at around 6pm on Monday off the popular Levante beach.
The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation to establish whether the activity was being carried out in appropriate conditions.
The tragedy coincided with an abrupt deterioration in the weather across Benidorm and the wider Marina Baixa area.
After a day of intense heat and oppressive humidity, rain and powerful gusts of wind arrived within a matter of minutes.
Investigators will now seek to determine whether those conditions contributed to the British woman’s death.
Witnesses report possible snapped tow rope
The Guardia Civil has not publicly confirmed any leading theory about what caused the accident.
However, witnesses have reportedly suggested that the tow rope connecting the parasail to the boat may have snapped while the woman was in the air.
That account has not yet been confirmed and will form part of the investigation.
Officers will attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine exactly what caused the woman to fall.
Parasailing involves participants being attached to a specially designed parachute-like canopy while being towed behind a motorboat.
Weather conditions under investigation
Benidorm and surrounding areas were experiencing unstable weather at the time of the tragedy.
State weather agency Aemet had issued a yellow weather warning, although such an alert does not in itself prohibit parasailing and other recreational activities.
No suggestion of wrongdoing by the operator has been established at this stage.
The investigation continues.
