Foreign skipper of boat arrested after jet ski death on Costa del Sol

The Guardia Civil has arrested the skipper of the boat that this weekend collided with a jet ski, whose driver ended up losing his life. Initially, the person in charge of the boat has been charged with reckless homicide, according to SUR sources.

The fatal incident occurred at around six o'clock in the evening on Saturday 24 August off the coast of Marbella. Several people called the 112 Andalucía emergency services to alert them to the incident and some of them indicated that the boat was sailing recklessly in the area of the buoys, where the rental jet skis were located, according to the sources consulted.

Following the collision, the jet ski driver was left unconscious, floating on the water. Once he was rescued, he was evacuated to dry land while cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed to try to save his life. However, all the efforts were in vain. He was 26 years old, of North African origin and German nationality.

The skipper of the boat, who was accompanied by another person who could be the owner of the boat, was escorted to the port of Marbella, where he was tested for alcohol and drugs by Local Police officers.

According to sources, the man, also German and aged 34, tested positive on the breathalyser, with a result of more than one milligram per litre of exhaled air (the generic limit allowed on the roads is 0.25). The drug test also detected the presence of two narcotics, although the result must be confirmed in laboratory tests.

In view of this, and together with the witnesses' testimonies about possible reckless navigation, the Guardia Civil officers investigating the case read the skipper his rights for an alleged crime of reckless homicide.

This is the second fatal accident this summer in Marbella involving a jet ski. Just three weeks ago, a minor died when the jet ski he was riding with his father toppled on top of him. The boy's family, who had only been on holiday on the Costa del Sol for a couple of days, had gone for a day at the beach and were taking a ride on a jet ski owned by friends. On reaching the shore, the jet ski passed an area of the coast where waves form due to the topography of the seabed in that area, where there is a large sandbank. Just as it crossed this point, the watercraft turned on its side and the waves threw its occupants into the water. The jet ski capsized on top of them in a shallow area.

In the last 12 months there have been two other fatal accidents involving jet skis on the coast of Malaga. One of them happened on 16 July last year, coinciding with the celebration of the Virgen del Carmen festivities at sea. A young woman, aged 32, died after suffering serious injuries after falling from the watercraft.

A few days later, on 9 August 2023, a 32-year-old man of French nationality lost his life in another accident in Fuengirola.