A seventy-year-old man has died while swimming at Els Tossals beach in Guardamar del Segura. Emergency services received an alert around eleven thirty this morning after several beachgoers noticed the man floating unconscious in the sea. The local authorities confirmed that there was no identification on the individual, as he had arrived alone at the beach on a bicycle. Despite the quick response from emergency services, the medical team could only confirm his death upon arrival.

Els Tossals beach is currently without any lifeguard services, as indicated by the local mayor. The previous contract did not include lifeguard surveillance, and the current contractor, which started operation recently, also does not cover this stretch of beach. In contrast, the nearby Elche beaches are much busier and have already deployed their lifeguard teams for summer.

The deceased is the third person to drown under similar circumstances in the Vega Baja region since late May, with two other incidents occurring in Torrevieja beaches. In all cases, the individuals found were elderly and discovered floating close to the shore, amidst favourable sea conditions for swimming.

The Red Cross has recently handed over lifeguard responsibilities to Servicial Sur, a Málaga-based company, for an annual cost of five hundred and fifty-four thousand euros. Lifeguard services in the more populated areas of Guardamar will run uninterrupted from the beginning of Holy Week until the thirty-first of October. However, less frequented stretches remain without lifeguard presence, with advisories posted in such locations.