A body was found floating near a beach in Nerja yesterday. The emergency 112 number received a call alerting the police to its presence at 15.25h.

The body had appeared about 50 metres from Balcón de Europa. The Guardia Civil, Policía Local and an ambulance were quickly despatched to the scene, as well as Protección Civil.

The Guardia Civil soon confirmed that the body was that of a man. No further details were announced, other than that the person wasn’t a Nerja resident.

However, given the time and location there has been speculation that it could have been a case of suicide. Yet, the probability of the body belonging to an immigrant in a failed sea crossing wasn’t ruled out. In short, they have no idea.

The dead man was recuperated from the sea by a small launch belonging to Protección Civil and brought in to the launching ramp on Playa El Playazo, where a coroner was waiting.

Such was the throng of curious bystanders on the Balcón de Europa that the Policía Local had to cordon off the area for public safety reasons.

(News: Nerja, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)