- The man jumped into the water to help the children, aged six and seven.
- The double tragedy occurred around midday on La Roqueta beach, in Guardamar de Segura, about 32 kilometers south of Alicante.
Two people, including a British tourist, have died in Spain after trying to rescue a pair of children who were in difficulty in the sea on a beach on the Costa Blanca.
The 52-year-old man jumped into the water to help the six and seven-year-old children, along with other people.
But he ended up losing his life along with a 46-year-old Polish good Samaritan.
Two other people were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties after today’s drama. Her nationalities are unknown, but it is believed that she is a woman in her 20s and a 22-year-old man.
It was not immediately clear this afternoon whether the Briton, believed to be a tourist, had any kind of relationship with the children.
Two people, including a British tourist, have died after trying to rescue two children who were in difficulty in the sea on a beach on the Costa Blanca. Pictured: A view shows La Roqueta beach in Guardamar de Segura, south of Alicante, where the incident occurred.
The two people with respiratory problems were transferred to the Torrevieja University Hospital.
The double tragedy occurred around midday on La Roqueta beach in Guardamar de Segura, south of Alicante, with wind gusts of up to almost 40 mph.
The lifeguard service on the beach in the center of the town where the three drownings have occurred in the last two days is not yet operational.
The mayor of Guardamar del Segura, José Luis Sáez, stated after today’s double tragedy: ‘Three deaths due to drowning in the last 24 hours on the beaches of Guardamar.
“Current sea conditions are very dangerous, with strong drag currents that make swimming inadvisable.”
He added: “Ultimate caution is needed as the weekend weather is going to be unstable.”
The tragedies of the last 24 hours have caused eight people to have already drowned in the province of Alicante, of which Guardamar del Segura is a part, in the first seven days of June.
They include a 76-year-old Irishman in a cove called Cala Capitan near the site of the last three drownings.
Among the other drowning victims were a Belgian pensioner and a Moldovan.
On Monday, three bathers lost their lives in Calpe, Elche and Orihuela, all of them in the province of Alicante, on the Costa Blanca.
The tragedies of the last 24 hours have caused eight people to have drowned in the province of Alicante, to which Guardamar del Segura belongs, in the first seven days of June
Most municipalities on the coast do not put lifeguards on the beaches until June 15, which is considered the beginning of the high season.
A Civil Guard source confirmed that one of the dead was a 52-year-old British man.
He said: ‘Two people lost their lives. One was British and the other Polish. They were both trying to help two small children who were in difficulty at sea.
“The sea conditions were pretty bad.”