A 77-year-old man who was bathing in a coastal urbanization pond near San Juan died on a Sunday afternoon, according to authorities. The Emergency Information and Coordination Center CICU and the Alicante National Police confirmed the incident, and an autopsy is planned to determine whether drowning or another cause led to the death.
Emergency services were alerted shortly after the event, with a call to 112 and a rapid response to the urbanization area on Benidorm Street, near the beach at San Juan. Responders arrived at the scene to assist the swimmer who had been found in distress by beachgoers and lifeguards who were stationed nearby as part of the usual safety coverage for the area.
The initial on-site assessment showed the swimmer requiring immediate life-saving measures. Lifeguards began resuscitation, followed by medical teams transported to the location to continue treatment. Despite sustained cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts, the medical teams were unable to revive the 77-year-old man, and his death was subsequently confirmed.
Autopsy
The judicial commission was notified and the body was removed for transport to the Alicante Institute of Forensic Medicine where the autopsy is scheduled for Monday. The examination aims to establish the exact cause of death and to confirm whether drowning played a role or if another medical condition contributed to the outcome.
National Police investigators, along with forensic experts from the Forensic Police and Science Police, were dispatched to gather data at the scene. Their work includes examining environmental factors, any witnesses, and the physical condition of the area where the swimmer died, all to reconstruct the events leading up to the death and to determine if any safety measures were in place for swimmers and beach users at the time.
Two days prior, another swimmer, aged 68, died on the same San Juan beach. The coincidence has prompted authorities to review local safety protocols, lifeguard presence, and the general conditions around the shoreline to ensure that proper procedures are in place to protect residents and visitors in this popular coastal area.