Lorraine Williamson
A 66-year-old British woman has died after a parasailing accident off Levante beach in Benidorm, while a 47-year-old man taking part in the same activity was injured.
The accident happened at around 6.40 pm on Monday as weather conditions deteriorated sharply across the Marina Baixa. Both casualties were taken to Hospital Marina Baixa in La Vila Joiosa, where doctors were unable to save the woman. The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Investigators are examining several possible factors, including whether the tow rope connecting the parasail to the boat broke during the flight.
Cadena SER reports that sources close to the investigation regard a broken tow line as one of the main possibilities being considered, although the Guardia Civil has not publicly confirmed a definitive cause.
The timing of the accident is also attracting attention because Benidorm and the wider Marina Baixa experienced a sudden change in weather at around the same time, with strong gusts of wind and rain arriving after a period of intense heat.
Weather conditions form part of the investigation
The Guardia Civil is also looking at whether the weather conditions may have played a role in the accident and whether the parasailing operation should have continued as conditions worsened.
AEMET had issued a yellow-level weather warning for the area. Such a warning does not automatically prohibit marine leisure activities, but it signals conditions in which greater caution may be necessary. AEMET’s warning system on 10 August included the risk of storms capable of producing very strong wind gusts in affected areas.
At this stage, there has been no official finding of negligence by the company operating the parasailing activity, and responsibility has not been established.
Parasailing remains popular along Spain’s tourist coasts
Parasailing is widely offered at holiday resorts around Spain and involves a passenger or passengers being suspended beneath a parachute-like canopy while being towed behind a boat.
The activity depends heavily on wind and sea conditions, and sudden changes can create additional risks, particularly during summer storms.
The Benidorm accident is likely to raise questions about how operators assess changing weather conditions and when activities should be suspended, but those questions remain part of the ongoing investigation rather than conclusions that can yet be drawn.
Investigation continues
The Guardia Civil is expected to examine the condition of the equipment, the tow line, the vessel and the weather at the time of the accident as officers work to establish exactly what happened.
The identity of the British woman has not been officially released.
For now, the central confirmed facts are that one British tourist has died, another participant was injured, and investigators are examining both a possible equipment failure and the sudden deterioration in weather conditions.