A DUTCH tourist drowned off a Guardamar del Segura beach just two days before a young Ukrainian couple lost their lives a short distance up the coast, it has emerged.
The 51-year-old man died on Thursday afternoon at La Roqueta beach, south of the town centre, while a red flag was flying because of rough seas.
He got into difficulty in the water and called for help at around 5.50pm.
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Paramedics, the PolicÃa Local and the Guardia Civil rushed to the scene but could not save him.
His death only came to light after a Ukrainian couple, both aged 25, drowned at Els Vivers beach on Saturday afternoon, as reported by the Olive Press.
The pair, who lived in Poland and were visiting friends in the town, were caught in strong currents at a beach that had been flying a red flag for about a week.
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It means three people have drowned off the town’s beaches in the space of three days.
Unlike Els Vivers, La Roqueta is one of two Guardamar beaches, along with Centro, that keep lifeguard cover until the end of October.
In 2024, four people drowned on La Roqueta in the space of 48 hours.
After Saturday’s tragedy, mayor José Luis Sáez warned that currents are a problem on all of the town’s beaches, and that swimmers can easily become exhausted and be dragged out.
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