British man dies after hitting rocks while swimming in Mazarron. Photo Credit: Danipuntocom / Flickr
A young British man has passed away after smashing into rocks in the Spanish sea in the municipality of Mazarron, located in the southeastern region of Murcia. The man, 25, had gone into cardiac arrest after making impact with rocks on the Percheles Beach.
Horror incident in Spanish holiday hotspot
The tragic incident happened just after 4:00pm on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 10. A spokesman for the local government-run emergency response coordination centre stated: “We received several 999 calls around 4:05pm yesterday afternoon reporting difficulties in getting a swimmer out of the water at Percheles Beach in Canada de Gallego, part of the municipality of Mazarron. […] According to the callers, two young English men reported that their companion had struck the rocks and was unconscious in the water.”
Emergency services race to the scene, but it is sadly too late for the young man
The young man had been holidaymaking in the popular Spanish town, and was swimming in the sea when the horror incident took place. Two of his companions drew attention to the accident, and locals managed to pull the man out of the water. Emergency responders, including the Guardia Civil, the Mazarron Local Police, the Mazarron Civil Protection, firefighters from the Murcia Region Fire and Rescue Consortium, and an ambulance from the 061 Emergency and Urgent Healthcare Service, raced to the scene. The health professionals present tried to revive him, using the CPR method as well as specialised resuscitation equipment, but they were unable to do so and the man was sadly pronounced dead.
A beach with no lifeguard: A striking and tragic reminder for holidaymakers in Spain
Questions are swirling as to the nature and safety of the beach in which the incident occurred, as well as the lack of a lifeguard on the beach. The beach in question is accessible by an unpaved road, and the closest town to the area is Cañada de Gallego.
The tragic incident has called attention to the importance of being safe while swimming at sea, particularly in secluded beaches. Beaches that do not have a lifeguard, nor access to quick emergency response in the case of an incident, should be avoided if holidaymakers want to swim.
Additionally, as peak season comes into full swing, holidaymakers and locals are reminded that the increase of alcohol consumption, late-night partying, and the holiday mindset could make accidents like these more likely, and that any tourist or resident should exercise caution when swimming, hiking, or doing any other physical activity that may result in injury, especially in low-light conditions or areas where help cannot arrive immediately.
