Fourth Drowning of the Summer in Alicante: An 86-Year-Old Man in Dénia

Summer has just begun, and the province of Alicante already counts four fatalities due to drownings in beaches and pools. An 86-year-old man passed away this Monday in Dénia despite the emergency services' efforts. Another man in Santa Pola was more fortunate, as his neighbours managed to save his life after noticing he was in distress while swimming in the community pool.

The first incident occurred this Monday afternoon. Swimmers at Setla Mirarrosa Beach in Dénia pulled an 86-year-old man from the water in an unconscious state after detecting signs of drowning.

Minutes later, an ambulance arrived, and emergency services began CPR rescue manoeuvres, but there was no response. After attempts, the man's death was confirmed. He is the fourth to die from these causes so far this summer in the province of Alicante.

Meanwhile, the CICU also had to intervene in Santa Pola to rescue a man of the same age (86 years) who was found unconscious in the pool of the housing development where he resides.

Witnesses at the scene realised the man was unwell and began rescue manoeuvres until the SAMU arrived. Once there, professionals continued with CPR and other techniques until they managed to stabilise him.

After these actions, the man was transported with symptoms of drowning and recovered cardiac arrest to the General Hospital of Elche in an advanced life support ambulance.

Experts identify prevention as the "key" to avoiding drownings. Men over 55 are the most affected, mainly due to recklessness. Vithas Alicante emphasises that with "safer" attitudes and safety practices, most drownings "can be avoided, regardless of age."

According to experts in neurorehabilitation at Irenea, the Vithas Neurological Rehabilitation Institute in Elche, the number of injuries increases during the summer, mostly due to "overconfidence and recklessness, risk factors that can be avoided."

For specialists at the centre, prevention is "key," especially for the youngest, "who can suffer a tragedy in just 20 centimetres of water and in less than three minutes."

To reduce the number of summer drownings, Vithas recommends families adopt "essential" preventive measures, including swimming in "authorised and supervised" waters; preventing digestive shock by "avoiding sudden entry into the water after eating or sunbathing" and leaving the water at any strange symptom, such as chills or dizziness.

Additionally, they stress that it is "crucial to avoid consuming alcohol before swimming, to be cautious when diving in unknown depths, and to alert emergency services immediately, as quick action can be crucial to saving lives."

Drownings can cause brain injuries due to lack of oxygen (anoxia) or its partial reduction. Dr Enrique Noé, neurologist at the Vithas Neuroscience Institute and Director of Research at Irenea, notes that the brain "can only withstand four to five minutes of anoxia before suffering irreversible tissue damage. After 15 minutes, more than 95% of brain tissue is damaged."