Nerja 112: elderly man drowns at La Torrecilla beach

An 80-year-old man drowned at one of the most popular beaches in Nerja and the Axarquía area, La Torrecilla, on Wednesday afternoon.

Several bathers reported seeing a person floating very close to the shore in front of a restaurant at 5.15pm.

According to eyewitnesses, the man was on the beach accompanied by a caregiver, who had left him on the sand moments before the incident. The victim was found in the water wearing trousers and a shirt, but no shoes or swimming trunks.

Lifeguards pulled the elderly man from the water and immediately began performing CPR. Despite their efforts, they were unable to save his life.

Emergency medical personnel, the Local Police and the Guardia Civil arrived at the scene. According to sources, the deceased was a resident of Nerja: Manuel U. A. The man had no identification on him, only a pendant of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The Guardia Civil have taken charge of the investigation to clarify the circumstances of the elderly man's death. The removal of the body took place at 8.36pm, which indicates that it remained at the beach to the shock of witnesses for a while after the discovery.

The institute of legal medicine in Malaga is performing the autopsy.

This is the fourth death by drowning in the Axarquía area in just 12 days.

On 12 June, a German couple living in Nerja drowned at Las Lindes beach in Torrox. He was 80 years old and she was 75.

Five days later, on 17 June, a four-year-old British boy drowned in the swimming pool of a rural house in Periana.

The recent string of tragedies has once again highlighted the dangers of water environments during the summer months.

Andalucía ended 2025 with 107 drownings at beaches, in rivers, reservoirs and swimming pools, according to data from the Andalusian regional government.

Malaga was the third province with the highest number of deaths in the region, with 18 deaths, surpassed only by Almeria, with 34, and Cadiz, with 26.

The Andalusian regional government reinforces its prevention and awareness campaigns every summer to reduce drownings and other serious accidents.

Authorities recommend avoiding risky behaviours, such as swimming in unsupervised areas, ignoring flags or performing dangerous jumps in unauthorised or shallow waters, as this can cause spinal cord injuries and extremely serious trauma.

Access the latest 112 emergency and rescue news hub