The emergency services responded to a distress call yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, after reports emerged of a swimmer in difficulty off Las Cucharas beach in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote.
The alarm was raised shortly after 3:30pm, triggering a rapid response from the Lanzarote Consortium of Safety and Emergencies. Upon arrival, emergency personnel discovered the lifeless body of a person, believed to have drowned after spending several hours in the water.
According to local reports, the swimmer is thought to have suffered a cardiac arrest and was located almost three nautical miles from the shoreline, in the area of Los Charcos near the Meliá Salinas hotel.
Firefighters used a jet ski to reach the victim, while medical teams, Local Police from Teguise, and officers from the Guardia Civil provided additional support on land.
Despite the swift response, the swimmer could not be revived and was pronounced dead by paramedics. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim.
The incident is a sobering reminder of the risks associated with open water swimming and the critical importance of observing beach safety guidelines. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death has been initiated.
