Two drownings in five days at La Mata

Currents have swept the swimmers away from the shore

A BATHER in his 60s died at around 10.00 on Wednesday morning in the sea off La Mata beach in Torrevieja.

The emergency services reported that he entered the sea at the same place where a successful rescue was carried out by the Guardia Civil on Monday evening. A 60-year-old Bolivian man had drowned at the beach on Friday night.

On Wednesday the emergency services reported that the victim had been taken out to sea by the current. A spokesman stated that the man managed to grab hold of a buoy marking off the bathing area.

His brother entered the sea to try to help him and the jetski rescue team was alerted.

However, by time the lifeguards arrived ‘his strength had gone’ and he was under the water. They took his body to the shore but paramedics were unable to revive him. His brother suffered a nervous breakdown and was treated at the scene.

AN OFF-duty Guardia Civil officer, who threw himself into rough seas in La Mata, Torrevieja to try to save a drowning couple, has been praised for his actions by local force chiefs.

Tragically, a 60-year-old Bolivian tourist – who was a resident in Germany – died in the rescue attempt. A Guardia Civil spokesman noted that the incident occurred at around 21.00 last Friday, after lifeguard duty at the beach had ended.

He reported that the officer – named as Daniel – was walking along the beach close to La Fusión bar when he heard shouts from the water. Daniel could see that a man was trying to rescue a woman who was being swept further into the sea by currents and large waves.

He plunged into the water and swam to the woman, who he was able to drag to the shore, where she was helped by other beachgoers.

The officer then went back to rescue the Bolivian national. The spokesman explained that when he got him back to the shore, the man’s wife was conscious, so the officer started using a cardiac massage technique to try to revive the man.

He was helped by a restaurant owner who placed two spoons in the man’s mouth to keep it open. They worked on him for 45 minutes until paramedics arrived but they were not able to revive him.

His 58-year-old German wife was taken to Torrevieja hospital, where she was kept in for observation. Her physical condition was described as good.

Red flag swimmers saved by brave officer

Guardia Civil had to carry out another rescue at La Mata on

Monday evening after two bathers got into trouble at 19.50.

They had entered the water when a red flag was flying. Guardia Civil were called and rushed to the beach.

A force spokesman explained that due to the current both bathers, a man aged 27 and a woman (37), were unable to get out of the sea.

They were clinging to different buoys which were 50 metres and 75 metres from the shore respectively.

Local police officers had a long rope and one of the officers swam out with it.

However, he had to return several times as the current was sweeping him away from the bathers.

Finally, he entered on a diagonal course that allowed him to reach the stricken swimmers and he was able to rescue them both.

He was so exhausted that he had to be pulled out of the water by his colleague when he had finished.

He was taken to Quirón hospital, where he was treated by doctors and kept under observation overnight.

The male swimmer also had to be taken to hospital for treatment. The rescue operation took around an hour, according to the spokesman.

Red flags

Red flags have been flying at some Costa Blanca beaches over the last week due to the strong easterly wind, which is whipping up currents and large waves. The situation is due to continue into next week and beachgoers are advised to check the flags before entering the sea and always obey the warnings of lifeguards.