Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)A PENSIONER was almost garrotted by a kite surfer on a beach near Tarifa.
The elderly woman was taking a walk along Los Lances beach – a popular spot for kite surfers – when she got tangled in the lines of a surfer who was “out of control”.
The grandmother, who is in her eighties, was lucky that the ropes of the contraption did not wrap around her neck during the accident.
But she still had to be rushed to hospital in Algeciras suffering serious bruising and shock.
Her daughter Lola Ruiz del Portal, 57, said: “Luckily she was able to fend off the ropes with her arms otherwise it might have got caught around her neck.”
Portal immediately called the police and has now denounced the surfer, who was only 17, for reckless behaviour in a bathing area.
He and a friend – also a teenager – had attempted to leave the area, before the Guardia Civil turned up.
“Luckily she was able to fend off the ropes with her arms otherwise it might have got caught around her neck.”
Her daughter has now slammed the authorities for not enforcing the area reserved for the sport.
She insisted that there was no security in place at the area known as Los Pinos.
However Tarifa’s councillor in charge of beaches, Pedro Moreno insisted that safety personnel are usually on hand to enforce the laws.
He added that the kite surfing area is clearly marked.
The areas may be defined on distant maps as you enter the beaches but the kite surfers for lack of skill and sheer spite cannot resist a pop at children swimming in the swimming zones. Our five young children are very good swimmers, but the kite surfers aimed at them laughing, the kids were snorkeling or underwater but it didn´t stop their invasion of the bathing area which remained full of kids running to escape. Four times I appealed to the red cross for support, but they shrugged … then came the water bikes bombing on to the shore. I live here. There is not enough safety in the sea.
I really hope that your mum is ok now Lola, we run from the wires very often as soon as it is september their kites take up allover the los lances beach and it is always dangerous… and sadly there have been deaths.
I am more scared by the water bikes which speed over families. How do you get help. A rustic beach is great but it is also the wild west and noone gives a damn about kids.