A 67-year-old man drowned on Wednesday morning in the Alloz reservoir at Lerate, in Guesálaz, despite efforts by nearby swimmers and a nurse to save him. Witnesses said he was swimming ahead of a group when he suddenly began to struggle and called for help. They could not revive him.
Ángel González, a member of the Federación Navarra de Vela, was among those present. He said several people rushed to help when they heard the man’s cries. Five or six people pulled him onto a nearby zodiac boat. Once ashore, a nurse performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but he did not respond.
Emergency services were alerted, and a call was made to 112 as the situation unfolded. Despite efforts in the water and on land, the man could not be revived. González recalled the moment he realized the identity of the person they had tried to save.
The Alloz reservoir is used for water storage, swimming and other recreational activities. A report published by Diario de Navarra on 21 October put its volume at 20 cubic hectometres, or 30.30% of capacity. That figure describes the reservoir’s water level at the time of the report; it does not measure conditions at the swimming area, including water temperature or visibility, or establish whether currents were present. Water-related incidents can arise in very different circumstances; reports about dangerous crossings at Ceuta offer one example of the varied risks associated with water.
People in the water and a nurse on shore responded, while emergency services received a call to 112. The death has left the local community in shock.
