A 70-year-old British grandmother died at Cavalleria Beach in Menorca after diving into the sea to rescue her 10-year-old granddaughter, whose inflatable was swept by powerful currents and nearly 30mph gusts. The family was at the beach on Wednesday, October 28, around 1pm, when the alarm was raised.
The child drifted toward a rocky area after the inflatable capsized. The woman's husband and daughter also tried to reach her, while fellow beachgoers used a rope to pull the daughter and grandchild back to safety.
Son Bou family holiday
The family had been staying together at a villa in Son Bou on Menorca's central southern coast for about a week. They were in the final hours of a holiday before returning to the UK.
The grandmother's body was brought ashore by her husband. He was later taken to hospital for cuts sustained during the rescue attempts, while the child and her mother were treated for a panic attack.
October 15 lifeguard closure
Emergency services, including police, paramedics and firefighters, responded after the alarm was raised. Joan Palliser attended the scene, and the Civil Guard is leading the investigation.
The local lifeguard service had ended on October 15, leaving no professional beach rescue team immediately on duty when the inflatable overturned. Authorities are treating the death as an accidental tragedy.
Cavalleria Beach inquiry
The remaining question for investigators is what caused the inflatable to capsize so quickly as the currents and wind pushed the child away from shore. For the family, the sequence ended with one rescue attempt succeeding and another failing within minutes.
