Yzabelle Bostyn
STORM Nelson has killed a British tourist in northern Spain as victims of the extreme weather rise.
The storm claimed four lives yesterday, Thursday, March 28 after a British tourist died on the Asturian coast.
The 62-year-old man was on holiday with his partner when they decided to take a walk on the jetty in Muros de Nalon, at the opening of the San Esteban river.
It is believed he fell to his death here after being hit by a rogue wave.
He was reportedly seen strolling along the estuary beside his wife, a Spanish national, taking photos just minutes before he fell.
According to El Comercio, a witness said: “The man stood up for a moment to look at the waves and when he turned around to return to his wife, who had stayed further back, a wave dragged him away.”
Asturian Emergency Services, local fire and rescue services used a helicopter to recover the man’s body, using a crane and 30 metres of cable.
Guardia Civil agents then took over the movement of the deceased man’s body.
Emergency services received a call at 13:00 pm that day, when the man had just fallen into the sea.
Despite attempts to save the man, he was already deceased and his body was recovered at 13:48 pm.
The couple had travelled from Valladolid to spend Easter with friends and had arrived just the day before the tragic accident.
Reportedly, the pair resided in the UK and had rented an apartment in the area, where they planned to spend Easter.
It is believed the woman the pair rented the apartment from had warned them about the weather conditions.
Muros de Nalon mayor Celestino Novo, attended the rescue mission and said: “They had come to spend a week’s holiday in our municipality and this tragedy has occurred. I’m so devastated.”
Just before this incident, at 12:59 pm, emergency services had received another call from Cudillero port.
In this case, the woman had fallen into the sea and was being repeatedly hit into rocks.
Onlookers soon informed emergency workers the woman had been rescued by a small boat and taken to the port.
However, the woman had fallen unconscious and people were trying to reanimate her using first aid.
The Local Emergency Medical Attention Service (SAMU), soon sent paramedics to the area with an ambulance.
Unfortunately, after spending an hour attempting to reanimate the woman, they could do nothing to save her and they confirmed her passing.
The storm claimed a further two victims on Thursday afternoon after a 16-year-old boy fell in the water in Tarragona.
A 30-year-old German man jumped into the water to save him but despite rescue efforts by helicopter emergency services, both men drowned.
Authorities have urged people to avoid any areas such as jetties, ports and coastal paths, where they risk being pushed into the sea by strong winds.
