National
Tragic weekend for drowning in Spain
By h.b.
Aug 3, 2008 - 6:41 PM

It has been a tragic first August weekend for drowning in Spain, with at least seven cases.

Among the latest cases, a 70 year old man died on the Misericordia beach in Málaga, and another man, aged 66, drowned on the Batales beach on Saturday in Conil de la Frontera, Cádiz.

A 50 year old man died after suffering indigestion when swimming at Cabopino near Marbella, and a 75 year old drowned on a beach in Mojácar, Almería. In this last case the efforts of his son who was with him on the beach and of the Protección Civil could do nothing to save his life.

A body, thought to be of a four to six year old was found on Saturday floating off the Carchuna beach in Calahonda Granada, but decomposition was such that the child’s sex could not be confirmed.

An 11 year old boy drowned after rescuing his younger brother who had fallen into a irrigation pond in Orihuela, Alicante, and a seven year old boy drowned in a swimming pool in a summer camp at San Martín de Valdeiglesias in Madrid.

Each year between 70 and 150 children die from drowning across the country on beaches, swimming pools, rivers and reservoirs.
The State Association of Accident Victims (DIA) notes that 86% of the cases happen on private premises.