Two young men, aged 20 and 25, were found unconscious early on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, on Camino de Valderribas in Madrid’s Puente de Vallecas district after a suspected drug overdose. SAMUR-Protección Civil medical teams responded to reports that the pair were lying motionless on a busy street lined with homes and shops.
Paramedics identified symptoms consistent with intoxication from drugs of abuse, and both patients were in serious condition. Medical staff administered an antidote at the scene. One man regained consciousness; the other did not respond and required intubation before being taken in critical condition to Hospital de La Princesa. The man who responded to treatment was taken to Hospital Gregorio Marañón. Municipal police helped clear the way for the ambulances, enabling the transfers.
The response took place within Madrid’s coordinated emergency-services system. The city’s Centro Integrado de Seguridad y Emergencias (CISEM) brings together communications operations for the municipal police and fire services, with SAMUR-Protección Civil also included, and coordinates with the regional 112 service. In an October 2026 statement, the Ayuntamiento de Madrid described CISEM as the hub for coordination and communication with 112. The arrangement provides an institutional structure for cooperation between police and medical teams during emergencies such as the one on Camino de Valderribas.
Inma Sanz, Madrid’s vice-mayor and delegate for Security and Emergencies, has described SAMUR-Protección Civil as “a leading emergency service in Spain and Europe.” The municipal service responds to emergencies and supports research, while public education is also part of its wider role. This places the treatment of acute intoxication within a broader public-health and emergency-care remit.
Madrid’s municipal addiction policy also covers longer-term research and prevention planning. On 20 October 2026, Sanz opened Madrid Salud’s first research conference on addictions, bringing together professionals in clinical care and university teaching, alongside addiction researchers. The Ayuntamiento said Madrid Salud was preparing the 2027-2031 addiction plan, a multi-year policy structure alongside the city’s immediate emergency response.
Madrid has also seen high-profile responses to organised crime. A major police operation led to the arrest of Calabrian mafia leader Domenico Paviglianiti after months of surveillance in Castilla y León, as detailed in this report on the detention of a mafia boss in Soria. The case illustrates the range of public-safety demands local authorities face.
The incident in Puente de Vallecas highlights the importance of rapid medical care in suspected acute drug intoxication. The two men were found unconscious in a public place. Emergency clinicians treated them at the scene before transferring them to hospital. Their responses differed: one regained consciousness, while the other required intubation, showing how sharply outcomes can vary in such emergencies.
