British tourist dies after parasailing line snaps during sudden Benidorm storm

A British tourist has died during a parasailing accident in Benidorm.

The 66-year-old is said to have smashed onto rocks after a strong gust of wind led to the parasailing line tethering the parachute canopy to the towing boat breaking.

The woman went into cardiac arrest on impact with the rocks. Efforts to revive her after she was taken to Benidorm Port proved unsuccessful.

A man survived the crash of the two-person ride but is thought to have suffered injuries including broken ribs and was said to be "walking wounded".

The tragedy happened around 6pm yesterday when a sudden change in weather conditions in the area led to a red flag being raised for bathers in the famous Costa Blanca resort.

An amber alert had been issued for Alicante province which Benidorm is part of yesterday afternoon, with weather chiefs warning of severe storms, hail and dangerous wind gusts.

Footage published online overnight appeared to show the moment when the couple were careering towards the rocks at the mercy of the wind as the drama unfolded near Benidorm’s Rincon de Loix area.

The sky had gone from blue to an ominous black during the sudden weather change conditions and the hot and muggy conditions prevalent earlier in the day had been replaced by strong gusts of wind and rain.

Witnesses recounting the moments leading up to the horror incident described moments of anguish as they saw the parasail spiral out of control following the line break and the couple head towards rocks.

One told local press: "It was clear they were going to crash."

A police investigation into the incident has been launched and is ongoing.

Yellow flag weather conditions enabling the parasailing excursion to go ahead were in place when the boat went out to sea with the couple.

The probe is expected to focus on whether the accident was directly related to the anticipated sudden change in weather conditions.

Police confirmed this morning the woman who died was a 66-year-old British national.

She was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Villajoyosa Hospital near Benidorm.

A spokesman for the Guardia Civil said: “At 6.50pm yesterday (AUG 10), we received an alert about a parasailing accident that occurred in the sea off Benidorm.

“Two British nationals, a 47-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, were injured and taken to Villajoyosa Hospital.

“The woman's death was subsequently confirmed.

“The Guardia Civil has carried out the initial steps to clarify the circumstances of the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.”