Costa del Sol police save elderly woman who lay trapped in bathtub for two days after she slipped and hit her head

National Police officers on the Costa del Sol have helped save the life of an elderly woman who had been lying trapped in her bathtub for two days after she apparently slipped and hit her head.

A concerned friend of the woman alerted the authorities because she had not been able to contact her for several days. Neighbours at the complex where the woman lived had not seen her either, which was strange as she usually used to have breakfast and lunch at a local restaurant.

When officers arrived at the scene, they called the woman's phone and heard it ringing. They sensed something was seriously wrong and considered waiting for the fire brigade to gain access to the property. But they decided time was of the essence and broke the door down to the woman's home in Torremolinos and found the 84-year-old floating face down in the water. They feared she was dead and were ready to call the judicial authorities to remove the body on Sunday, 28 May, but then they noticed she was still breathing, very faintly.

The elderly woman had apparently slipped on Friday, 26 May, and hit her head. Her body had even started to take on a dark hue, a sign of decomposition, according to police. But when officers noticed she was still breathing, they got her out of the bathtub and placed her onto the bed where she opened one eye, and then closed it, due to exhaustion.

An ambulance was called and rushed the injured woman to the accident and emergency department at the Hospital Clínico in Malaga, where she is now recovering in the critical care unit.