Two formally investigated over death of British tourist in Benidorm parasailing tragedy

Spanish police have revealed two men are being formally investigated over the death of a British tourist in a Benidorm parasailing accident after they exposed the lies of the company that organised the excursion.

One is being probed on suspicion of manslaughter and wounding and the other for an alleged crime of concealment.

The 66-year-old woman died last month after being flung against rocks when the parasailing tow rope “snapped” during a sudden weather change.

A 47-year-old man with her, initially described locally as her husband, was seriously injured and had to be hospitalised.

The Guardia Civil had confirmed at the time officers had launched an investigation into the 10 August incident which happened after an orange weather alert was sounded for the area warning of sudden severe storms, large hail and dangerous wind.

This Wednesday the police force made startling revelations about the lies told by a man linked to the company that took the pair out in an initial “cover-up” after the drama.

In its first detailed statement about the incident, a spokesman for the Guardia Civil in Alicante said: “The Guardia Civil has concluded its investigation into a parasailing accident that occurred last 10 August off the coast of Benidorm, in which a 66-year-old woman died and a 47-year-old man was seriously injured.

“The accident occurred while both victims were participating in the activity in tandem, being towed by a boat.

“At a certain point, the cable connecting the parachute to the boat broke, causing both of them to be dragged by the wind until they fell into the sea.

“The woman died in hospital as a result of the injuries she sustained, while the man was taken to a hospital with multiple injuries, although his life was never in danger.

“During the investigation, carried out by officers based in Altea, detectives analysed the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the conditions at the time, as the weather was deteriorating with a storm and strong gusts of wind.

“Another aspect clarified during the investigation was who was actually in command of the boat at the time of the accident.

“Initially, a person linked to the company responsible for the activity identified himself to the officers as the boat's skipper.

“However, he later acknowledged that he was not the person in command at the time of the accident and identified another employee as responsible, with the investigation determining that it was the latter who was operating the boat, confirming that he held the qualifications necessary to serve as skipper and had the corresponding training, but he was not listed as crew with the company at the time of the accident.

“As a result of the probe, two people are under investigation, one of them for the alleged offences of manslaughter and wounding, in connection with the circumstances that may have contributed to the accident, and the second for an alleged offence of concealment relating to the initial identification of the person who was in command of the boat.”

Neither the company that organised the excursion nor the two people under investigation have been named. No arrests are thought to have taken place but the two men facing possible criminal charges are now expected to be summoned for questioning by a court in Benidorm so a judge can determine what action to take.

The horror moment the British couple hurled towards rocks in the Benidorm death smash was caught on camera.

The speedboat they had been following could be seen in footage recorded from the shoreline desperately trying to catch up with them out at sea as the tourist pair were left at the mercy of strong gusts of wind in their out-of-control harnesses.

Witnesses relived the dread they experienced as they saw the tourists hurtle towards disaster, with Benidorm island in the background, and realised they were helpless to stop it from occurring.

The drama happened around 6pm on 10 August near the Costa Blanca resort’s Rincon de Loix area.

The company the unnamed British couple booked their trip through, which announces its parasailing excursions online as an opportunity to enjoy a “unique panorama” of Benidorm and its skyline, declined to comment in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A local who saw the drama unfold and another who saw paramedics attending the woman later pronounced dead in hospital said the sudden weather change had taken everyone by surprise despite the official warnings.

The first witness said: “The couple took off from Benidorm harbour.

“I saw it all happen. The sky was coming over nasty and black like when you get the summer storms come in.

“It didn’t rain but the wind suddenly got up when the beaches were still packed and yellow flags were up.

“This British couple were flying and with the sudden gust of wind the rope broke and became separated from the boat.

“That line would have been made out of strong thick cords around eight inches thick so the strength of the wind at that moment which got up under the parachute and tried to raise it up would have been tremendous.

“Next minute I saw the parachute turning round and spinning around completely out of control like a wheel.

“It went towards a rocky cove called the Cala del Tio Ximo at the foothills of the Sierra Helada Natural Park.

“The boat tried to chase after them but even going at full whack speed it couldn’t catch up with that parachute.

“I can’t begin to imagine the fear that poor couple must have felt, still being in the harnesses they’d been put in but not being able to free themselves.

“Next minute the parachute disappeared and we had a sinking feeling because we knew that round the back out of our sight that’s where the rocks were which is where they crashed.”

Another witness, who also asked not to be identified, said: “They were brought back to the harbour.

“The woman had gone into cardiac arrest and the paramedics spent around 20 minutes fighting to bring her back in the ambulance.

“The man was crying and in shock but she was obviously in a worse condition.

“It was awful when we found out she had passed away in hospital because when she left the harbour we were still praying she would pull through.”

Footage posted online at the time showed tourists and locals fleeing the beach as the weather conditions suddenly changed around the time of the tragedy.

Beachgoers packed up their belongings and started running across the sand in the direction of the seafront behind it as storm clouds appeared.

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

Benidorm town hall said at the time: “We deeply regret what happened, extend our condolences to the victim’s family and friends, and hope for the speedy recovery of the other injured person and for the circumstances of what happened to be clarified, something that the ongoing investigation will have to determine.”

Well-placed municipal sources confirmed town hall officials didn’t have the authority to launch a probe and that responsibility rested with the Guardia Civil.

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