A 74-year-old woman drowned while swimming at Sant Pol beach in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Girona, on Sunday. She was found in distress near Cala del Maset, close to the basic beach area. The incident occurred around midday, despite lifeguards being on duty and a green flag indicating safe conditions.
Emergency services were alerted shortly after 14:00 by a call to 112 reporting a swimmer in trouble. Maritime Rescue brought the woman ashore, where Emergency Medical System (SEM) teams attempted resuscitation. She could not be revived. Three SEM units and several Mossos d'Esquadra patrols were sent to the scene.
The death brought the number of fatalities on Catalan beaches to 16 since the bathing season began on June 15. Civil Protection figures put the combined total for beaches, swimming pools and inland waters at 30. More than 2,000 emergency calls have been recorded so far this summer, with eight more deaths than during the same period last year.
The reported beach-fatality breakdown is 12 men and four women. Separately, authorities have recorded 22 people injured in water-related incidents: four were in critical condition, two were seriously injured and 16 suffered less severe injuries. Nine of those injured were over 75.
Sergio Delgado, deputy director of Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency, has warned that some people underestimate the dangers posed by water. “Part of society is not aware of the risks that water presents,” he said in an interview with RTVE’s Cafè d’idees. His remarks are part of broader public-safety warnings. This season’s figures cover incidents across beaches, pools and inland waters.
Rising fatalities have prompted fresh warnings from authorities. Civil Protection has already called attention to the surge in drowning deaths and emergency incidents on Catalan beaches and pools this season. Spain’s coastal safety arrangements rely on flag systems and lifeguard services, while authorities continue to urge caution, particularly among older people and families with children.
