A 17-year-old boy died yesterday (10 July) in Spain while freediving off the town of Bolnuevo in the Murcian municipality of Mazarrón.
Emergency services were alerted by a call from a boater at 11:45am, relaying a request for help from the boy’s father, who had been found searching the area in a kayak.
Spearguns are usually designed to be positively buoyant once the spear is removed, and the freediver’s was found floating at the surface. It was Mazarrón muncipal lifeguards who discovered the boy’s body, which was described as ‘trapped’ at a depth of around 14m near the Cueva de los Lobos (Cave of the Wolves) islet.
This dive-site is popular among experienced freedivers, though the currents and submerged caves and rock formations can pose risks.
The Civil Guard’s specialist underwater rescue team (GEAS), transported by a Red Cross vessel, recovered the body and returned it to shore, while paramedics attended to family-members. A post mortem and police investigation were expected to clarify the circumstances of the teenager’s death.
Also on Divernet: Champagne master dies freediving, Jailed: Dive-shop owner who left freediver solo, 2 diver deaths in Lanzarote on same day
