Thanks to the rapid reponse of people at the scene, a teenage lad was rescued from the Río Guadalfeo at the beginning of the month.
The 17-year-old victim had been bathing in the river in the area known as La Playa de Vélez Benaudalla, which is a popular strand below the village with a picnic area.
An off-duty, Guardia Civil officer managed to coordinate the other bathers to form a human chain in order to reach him and get him out after the current had swept him off his feet, dragging him downstream
He was given first aid at the scene before being taken to Hospital Santa Ana in Motril for a check up.
(News: Velez de Benaudalla, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Keywords: Rio Guadalfeo Rescue, Strand, Swift Current, Off-Duty Officer, Guardia Civil, Human Chain, Hospital Santa Ana
news, andalucia, granada, costa tropical, velez de benaudalla, rio guadalfeo rescue, strand, swift current, off-duty officer, guardia civil, human chain, hospital santa ana
Hi, Verna, thanks for your account – they were certainly lucky to get out OK. The problem at the moment is that the damn just above this popular bathing spot is released quite a bit of what as it is brimming at over 95%, meaning that it is coming over the sluiced on top of the dam wall. This is because of the snow melt on the Sierra Nevada. Best not to bathe there for the moment.
My son & partner nearly drowned in this same spot today, my son went over the edge, my partner went over to save him. They both spent a considerable time being spun around, taking in water and panicking. Eventually when they both had given up my partner gave one last push and managed to get them both out of the swell. Thank God they are both OK, but it’s not safe to swim there at the moment. I think the river is flowing much faster due to the removal of much of the plant life.