Body of missing swimmer recovered after three-day search in Águilas

Emergency teams recovered the body close to the spot where a young swimmer disappeared after calling for help during an incident off the coast of Águilas last Thursday
 

The body of a young man who went missing at sea last Thursday June 18 has been recovered following an intensive three-day search operation off the coast of Águilas.

The discovery was made on Saturday evening at Playa de Matalentisco, just a few metres from the area where an attempt was previously made to rescue a 23-year-old swimmer who had been calling for help before disappearing in the water.

Emergency services were alerted shortly before 8:00pm after a call to the emergency coordination centre 112 reported the sighting of a body in the sea. It was later recovered at around 9.57pm by a vessel from Salvamento Marítimo.

The search operation had been ongoing since Thursday, when the young man is believed to have got into difficulty while swimming and was last seen calling for help before disappearing beneath the water.

The body has not yet been formally identified.

The Guardia Civil will now take charge of the investigation and the formal identification process.

The local council expressed its deep sadness at the tragic outcome, offering its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. It also thanked all the emergency services involved in the search, including the Policía Local, Cruz Roja, Protección Civil, the 112 emergency coordination centre, and the Cofradía de Pescadores, praising their coordination and sustained efforts throughout the operation.

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Images: Cruz Roja Española Región de Murcia