A 72-year-old French tourist died on Wednesday afternoon after falling ill while swimming in Es Codolar cove in Tossa de Mar, Girona. Catalonia's Civil Protection confirmed the incident on social media, stating the man had been swimming with a relative when he suddenly felt unwell.

He was pulled from the water unconscious and immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was attempted, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. The alert was received by Catalonia’s Emergency Services at 7:43 PM, prompting the deployment of three Medical Emergency System (SEM) ambulances and a Generalitat Firefighters unit.

At the time of the incident, the beach’s official surveillance and lifeguard service had already ended for the day. A green flag had flown throughout the day, indicating safe swimming conditions.

Multiple Agencies Respond

The Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, sent two Citizen Security patrols and one Investigation patrol to manage proceedings. The Tossa de Mar Local Police also attended the scene.

With this death, 21 people have now died on Catalan beaches since the official bathing season began on 15 June.

This figure was confirmed by Civil Protection, which has repeatedly warned of rising risks during the summer months, particularly outside supervised hours.

Public Safety Reminder Issued

Civil Protection is urging the public to exercise extreme caution when swimming at beaches, pools, or inland waters. They advise against entering the water if feeling unwell or fatigued, and recommend swimming only in areas with active lifeguard services whenever possible.

Anyone who sees a person struggling in the water should immediately contact lifeguards or call the emergency number 112 to ensure a rapid response.

Additional guidance from the Generalitat includes swimming with a companion, especially for older adults, avoiding sudden immersion, staying hydrated, and heeding warnings from safety personnel.

Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by elconfidencial.com, EFE, lavanguardia.com, Jessy Miller, ARA, Izan Domènech, El Confidencial.

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