Over the past weekend, 13 drowning deaths were recorded in Spain, information from the Real Federación Española de Salvamento y Socorrismo (RFESS). Ten people died on beaches; the other three died in inland waters or a pool, with cases in a river and a reservoir. At least six of the victims were over 70. The federation’s reported year-to-date total had reached 124, making the start of the summer season especially challenging.
The incidents were spread across several regions: Andalucía and Catalonia, with further cases in Cantabria and the Valencian Community. Murcia and Madrid were also affected. The first occurred on Friday at Torreguadiario beach in San Roque (Cádiz). A man whose age has not been specified was found unconscious in the water. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, and his death was confirmed at the scene. Later that evening, a married couple from Germany who lived in Nerja drowned at Las Lindes beach in Torrox (Málaga). The man was 80 and the woman was 75.
On Sunday, two people died at beaches in Almería, Andalucía: a 12-year-old girl and a 31-year-old woman. Lifeguards searched for the girl after she went missing. A surfer pulled her from the water, but she could not be saved. The woman died earlier that day after being carried away by the current and finding herself unable to escape.
In Catalonia on Saturday, an 18-year-old drowned at the L’Ametlla de Merola lock on the Llobregat River in Puig-reig, Barcelona province. He jumped into the water with friends but did not resurface; his body was later found. That same day in Cadaqués, an 80-year-old Frenchman died while diving near Illot de s’Encalladora, in Cap de Creus.
Two men died over the weekend in Castro Urdiales, Cantabria. On Saturday, a kitesurfer discovered the body of a 43-year-old resident of Trapaga, Biscay, at Oriñón beach. Cardiac arrest was determined to be the cause of death. Another man died at Brazomar beach on Sunday evening.
Two deaths were recorded in the Valencian Community on Sunday. In Daimús, a 70-year-old resident of Albaida drowned. In Chiva, a 79-year-old woman was found dead in a private swimming pool by her husband.
The latest two cases occurred in Murcia and Madrid. A 77-year-old man died at El Rihuete beach in Mazarrón. At the San Juan reservoir in Madrid, a 57-year-old man drowned while swimming along the dam.
The RFESS figures show that most of the weekend’s deaths occurred at beaches, while the cases also included incidents in inland waters and a private pool. Rescue efforts differed by location: lifeguards searched for the missing girl in Almería, and a surfer recovered her from the water. At Oriñón, a kitesurfer found the body. Authorities and rescue services urge caution in the water, particularly at the beginning of the season, when weather and sea conditions can be unpredictable.
A separate fatal accident was reported in Rio de Janeiro, where two helicopters collided, killing six people and injuring others. The incident was unrelated to the Spanish drowning cases.
Spain has a long coastline and extensive beach infrastructure. National services report that most water-related accidents occur during the summer months, when the number of holidaymakers rises sharply. The RFESS’s reported total of 124 deaths since the beginning of the year, alongside the 13 deaths recorded over the weekend, highlights the continuing risks for swimmers, including older people and children.
