British tourist drowns as storms continue to ravage Spain
Storm Nelson has already claimed the lives of four people in Spain, including a German holidaymaker and a child
Storm Nelson swept across Spain at the beginning of Holy Week, reaching its zenith on Wednesday March 27 when the entire country was put on alert for treacherous weather. Gales reaching almost 100km/h roiled up the seas, generating waves several metres high, and the rain was so heavy in places that several towns in Spain were among the wettest in all of Europe.
Although the rain eased off a little in many regions on Thursday March 28, coastal towns remained under severe warnings for dangerous gusts and sea conditions, and sadly the storm claimed four victims in the space of a few hours.
Two people, including a British holidaymaker, lost their lives in Asturias, where the waves reached 7 metres high, and another two died in Tarragona, close to Barcelona. One of the victims was a German tourist.
The first fatality occurred at noon on Thursday when the Briton was swept into the sea while standing near the mouth of the Nalón River, in San Esteban de Pravia. His lifeless body was pulled from the water by the Guardia Civil of Asturias.
Just a few kilometres away in the neighbouring municipality of Cudillero, a woman was dragged into the current as she walked along the shoreline of the fishing port. The crew of a fishing boat saw her being thrown against the rocks and quickly pulled her aboard and although a medical team tried to revive her for more than an hour, she too sadly died.
Hours later, the tragedy devastated Tarragona, where two people fell victim to the storm on Milagro beach.
According to local police sources, a German tourist who was walking along the beach with his partner selflessly jumped into the water when he noticed that a 16-year-old boy was in difficulty.
Although the 32-year-old holidaymaker was able to reach the teenager, the currents were too strong and both were pulled under. Maritime Rescue airlifted the bodies from the surf a short time later.
Not a part of Spain was left untouched by the violent storm on Maundy Thursday, but Andalucía was one of the worst-hit regions. Before 2pm, the emergency services had responded to more than 100 panicked calls. The majority of the incidents were reported in Sevilla and Jaen due to the gale-force winds, which ripped away trees, awnings and even roofs.
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Image: @Santialonsovigo/Twitter
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