Three tragedies weigh heavily on the community around Cudillero, Asturias, with two incidents yesterday claiming the lives of young people. A 17-year-old drowned in the Concha de Artedo in the early afternoon, and around 11 p.m. a 10-year-old boy died in a tractor accident in Arrojas (San Juan de Piñera).
Hours later, in the early hours of today, the father who had been transported to the Central University Hospital of Asturias (HUCA) by a SAMU ambulance died in the hospital after being stabilized in the intensive care unit.
Details from La Nueva España indicate the tractor accident occurred as father and son were returning from a village celebration along a downward sloping path. The father lost control and was thrown from the tractor, while the son remained on board as the vehicle struck a horreo. The horreo collapsed onto the tractor, causing the fatal injuries. The Civil Guard is conducting an investigation.
The Emergency Coordination Center received the call at 23:00 yesterday, reporting a tractor sliding downhill through a meadow. Firefighters from SEPA units in Pravia and Valdés were dispatched immediately.
Upon arrival, firefighters extricated the minor from the vehicle, who had died, while the man was ejected, treated, and transported to HUCA where he subsequently died. The SEPA 112 call center notified the Civil Guard, SAMU, two Mobile Intensive Care Units, a basic life support ambulance, and the Red Cross ERIE psychosocial response team.
Tractors have become a risk for the summer months. Last week, a man working in mowing and grass collection sustained injuries after a rollover in Momalo, Grado.
On June 17, a 93-year-old man died in a tractor accident in La Llonga, San Julián de Arcallana, Valdés. It appears he fell from the driving seat to the roadway and was run over by his own vehicle.
Tragedy at Concha de Artedo
Tragedy struck at the Concha de Artedo beach in Cudillero when a 17-year-old boy died after drowning while swimming with friends on a sunny afternoon. Initial accounts suggest the youth entered a calm, shallow area with pockets of deep water, then suffered a medical issue that prevented him from emerging.
Around ten minutes later, beachgoers alerted rescuers after noticing the swimmer missing below the surface in the darker water farther from shore. A British tourist reported the incident to beach staff. Rescue boats, dispatched by the SEPA rescue group aboard a medical helicopter, located the victim several meters below the water and pulled him from the sea.
The SEPA divers, equipped with specialized underwater gear, recovered the young man and the medical team performed CPR at the scene, but life could not be saved. The Civil Guard conducted the cadaver examination and arranged transport to the Institute of Legal Medicine for the formal procedures. The investigation continues to determine the exact cause of the drowning, with hypotheses including a possible medical episode while swimming in an area that appeared relatively tranquil but contained pockets of deeper water. Onlookers remained stunned as the rescue unfolded.
There was confusion in the early moments of the operation. The emergency center initially reported a child missing in the river, later clarifying that an adult had submerged and not resurfaced. Rescue teams and the medical helicopter were quickly deployed to the scene.
Daniel, the name associated with the deceased, had recently relocated to Lamuño with his brother, and family ties to the area extended through his mother who had lived there longer. Neighbors described him as a quiet presence, known to frequent the village shop and occasionally chat with locals. His brother had worked as a bartender in the village’s long-standing bar Cendán, now closed. He was tall and slim and attended the local high school, the IES Selgas, commuting daily by school bus.
Three years ago, Daniel moved to Cudillero with his brother; his mother remains in Lamuño with her partner in a rented home. The news left the village in shock, with many expressing sorrow for a life cut short, despite not having much daily contact with him due to the recent move and a noticeable generation gap among residents.
This tragedy follows another recent incident in the nearby town of Oviñana, where a 28-year-old youth died after a traffic accident on the N-632 during San Pedro festivities. The deceased, identified by initials J. J. L. G., was travelling in a Peugeot 205 with a passenger when the vehicle left the road and struck an embankment. The driver survived and is recovering in hospital. Local authorities, along with SAMU and SEPA firefighters, attended the scene, but the injured party could not be saved. Alcohol and drug testing was positive for the vehicle’s driver, according to the Civil Guard.
Messages from the day underscored the fragile boundary between celebration and tragedy in small communities, where a few minutes can alter lives forever. The episodes together paint a somber portrait of the summer landscape in western Asturias, reminding residents to exercise caution while enjoying outdoor life and to seek support through local emergency services if needed.