Emergency teams in Girona are focusing their search for a 16-year-old boy missing at sea from Roses, with the operation now centred between L'Escala and L'Estartit. The teenager has been missing since Wednesday night, after a guided jet ski excursion off the Roses coast.
The search was redirected after the boy’s jet ski was found overturned on Pals beach on Thursday afternoon, according to emergency services. Maritime Rescue and firefighters assessed the vessel’s location, sea currents and water conditions before narrowing the search area.
Drone flights were carried out overnight as part of the operation. Firefighters said multiple units are involved, including drone operators, the Underwater Rescue Group (GRAE Subaquàtic) and command staff. Other agencies taking part are Maritime Rescue, Mossos d'Esquadra, Guardia Civil, Roses Local Police, Rural Agents and the Red Cross. For background on local emergency coverage, see news.
The teenager was expected back at Santa Margarida beach around 8.30pm on Wednesday. When he did not return, his family, who live in Roses, went to the company that organised the trip. The organisers alerted emergency services at about 10.45pm after confirming he had not returned with the rest of the group.
The initial search covered the Almadrava, Canyelles and Trinitat Castle areas, where he was last seen. By Thursday morning, the search had expanded to Torroella de Montgrí. After the jet ski was found in Pals, teams shifted their focus to the stretch between L'Escala and L'Estartit.
The Guardia Civil is leading the investigation. Investigators have already taken statements from companions on the excursion, staff from the company that organised it and family members. The jet ski found in Pals has been towed to L'Estartit for a visual inspection, and the police’s preliminary hypothesis is that the boy may have run out of fuel and drifted at sea.