The key facts

  • The incident occurred at around one o'clock in the afternoon at Cala Cavalleria beach in northern Menorca on the last day of the family's vacation
  • The girl and her mother were rescued by other holidaymakers using ropes; the victim's husband was hospitalized with cuts
  • Police consider the incident an accident and note the beach's danger due to winds and currents

Tragedy at Cala Cavalleria beach

On the Spanish island of Menorca, a 69-year-old British citizen drowned while trying to save her 10-year-old granddaughter, who was swimming in the sea. This was reported by the Daily Mail citing the circumstances of the incident.

How events unfolded

The incident happened at around one o'clock in the afternoon at Cala Cavalleria beach on the northern side of the island, where the family was spending the final hours of their vacation. The girl began drifting away from the shore toward a rocky area, and her small inflatable mattress overturned due to a strong current and gusts of northerly wind. The grandmother, her husband, and the child's mother rushed to help. The pensioner's husband pulled his wife's body ashore, but she could not be saved. The girl and her mother were rescued by other holidaymakers using ropes: the child and the woman suffered panic attacks, and the man was hospitalized with cuts sustained during the rescue.

What is known about the location and the investigation

Police noted that this beach is known for strong winds and currents that can be dangerous for holidaymakers. Officers are conducting an investigation but are treating the incident as an accident. Earlier, according to Gazeta.Ru, the woman had already survived cardiac arrest and a coma after attempting to save her granddaughter's dog — meaning she died just a few weeks after that previous ordeal.