Investigation opens after 18-year-old dies following fall from balcony in Almuñécar

Several calls were received by the Andalusian emergency 112 phone number at around 8am with callers reporting that a man was lying on the ground after falling from a balcony. They explained that they did not know whether it had been accidental or deliberate. The Local Police, the Guardia Civil and the 061 medical services were immediately called to the scene, but were unable to save the young man’s life.

The officers are analysing footage from nearby CCTV cameras. The block of flats from where the young man fell is situated on the seafront, in a building overlooking the Paseo del Altillo. From the street, a broken railing on the sixth floor of the building is visible.

Municipal sources state that the young man was approximately 18 years old. He was not a local resident, so the main theory is that he was visiting as a tourist, perhaps to spend the night of San Juan (23 June) in the town.

A neighbour from the block says the young man was with his friends and, after a night out, they probably saw the entrance gate open, so they went up to the terrace to get some sleep.

The neighbour says they were sitting on the edge of the balcony with their feet hanging over the edge. The young man may have lost his balance and fallen, which would explain why the railing on the balcony directly below was broken. This will have to be confirmed by the investigation.

The owner of a shop on the street where the man was found was alerted by telephone because the victim had fallen practically on the doorstep. The owner of another business explained that the funeral services arrived mid-morning. She found out about the incident via social media.

“We heard lots of ambulances in Almuñécar, but who could have imagined what had happened? We don’t know the circumstances surrounding the incident, so let’s hope people are sensible and don’t speak without knowing the facts,” the shop owner said.