Two years after 23-year-old Marc Ortega died in a workplace accident in Sa Riera, Begur, his family says the judicial investigation has made no meaningful progress. Ortega drowned in May 2024 while working underwater on mooring lines for the Club Náutico de Sa Riera. Information from his family’s account, he was expected to do the work without adequate equipment or training. They say the investigating court in La Bisbal d’Empordà has yet to take statements from those involved.
Marc’s parents, Marta Cabañó and Paco Ortega, have returned to the site and voiced their anger over what they see as a lack of accountability. They say those responsible for workplace safety have faced no consequences, while the club continues to operate. According to the family, Marc was asked to finish the mooring installation after a subcontracted company left the job unfinished. They say he used borrowed equipment and an improvised weight belt to make repeated breath-hold dives. A carabiner attached to his waist became entangled with a chain, trapping him underwater. Colleagues and bystanders tried to rescue him, but he could not be revived.
The Labour Inspectorate reportedly proposed a €24,585 administrative fine for the employer, citing alleged failures in training and equipment, as well as supervision and emergency arrangements. The figure is a proposed sanction, not a confirmed final penalty. A technical report attributed to the Guardia Civil’s underwater unit reportedly identified the absence of a support team as a factor in the death and raised the possibility of professional negligence with criminal implications.
The family says the judicial investigation has not advanced. According to their account, members of the club’s board have declined to testify, while their lawyer continues to press for the case to establish whether the death could have been prevented and who may be responsible. The local council says it supplied the requested information, and investigators are reportedly examining possible lapses in oversight and control. The union CC OO has not ruled out legal action over the alleged safety failures.
Administrative and criminal proceedings can run in parallel in fatal workplace-safety cases. Access to electronic court files in Spain is generally restricted to parties and authorized legal professionals, as set out by the Sede Judicial Electrónica of the Ministry of Justice. The family’s account of the investigation’s progress remains basic to its demand for answers.
The case echoes other Spanish tragedies in which victims’ families have struggled to obtain answers and accountability. After the Biescas camping flood, which killed 87 people, survivors and locals grappled with trauma and legal inertia, as detailed in this report on the Biescas disaster anniversary. Both cases show the challenges families face when seeking justice after fatal incidents.
Friends described Marc Ortega, well known in Sa Riera, as hardworking and generous. He had worked at the club since 2021 and risen to team leader. His family and colleagues continue to seek answers about the circumstances of his death and the safety arrangements for the underwater work.
