Two men and a woman, aged 57 to 63, drowned this afternoon on the Tavernes de la Valldigna coast, in the Marenys district near Xeraco. Fire crews recovered the bodies after a prolonged search that initially yielded little.
The tragedy unfolded on a Tuesday afternoon. At 18:21, firefighters received the call and headed out from the Gandia fire station. The two men were pulled from the water by fellow swimmers before the emergency teams arrived, and a third person, a woman, was also recovered by Red Cross personnel. All three were found unconscious.
Responding agencies included the Fire Service, the Tavernes de la Valldigna Local Police, and the Red Cross Revitalization team, with medical staff subsequently taking over medical care. Officials confirmed that three people had died.
Eyewitnesses told a local reporter that those found washed ashore after the initial emergency had been searched between the beaches of l’Auir de Gandia and Xeraco, but the victims were not located there.
The fire department photo caption noted that the rescue vehicle had arrived to assist those who drowned, with the caption attributed to L-EMV.
Shortly thereafter, Civil Guard units and Local Police expanded the search area to include Marenys, stretching north of Xeraco and south of Tavernes, where the group was eventually located. Three of those found were unconscious and died soon after, while the woman was transported to a hospital for treatment.
All three deceased individuals were municipal members from nearby areas. Another victim hailed from Alzira, identified as a late-arrival municipal worker, and efforts were made to save others who were perceived to be in danger.
The group had entered a beach area that lacked lifeguard supervision, and on that particular Tuesday, sea conditions prompted a red-flag warning prohibiting bathing. The decision to enter the water under these conditions posed clear risks to personal safety.
The Civil Guard took over the investigation, noting that this incident ranks among the most tragic experiences in recent memory for Tavernes de la Valldigna and the wider region. Investigators continued to determine the precise circumstances surrounding the three deaths and the lone survivor’s account of those events.
The mayor of Tavernes, Lara Romero, arrived at the scene with service teams, joined by Jose Enrique Cunat from Tourism and Security, and Emilio Fonseca, along with Local Police and Civil Guard personnel who managed the evolving situation. The collective response conveyed both shock and a resolve to understand what happened and how to prevent future tragedies.