The body found last Friday in the Transfer Canal in Orihuela Costa was that of a 66-year-old British man, as confirmed by the Civil Guard. The body was found floating on the water in the early hours of the morning, after an alert call was received after 8:00 am.
The discovery mobilised officers from the Civil Guard, the Orihuela Local Police and the Provincial Fire Brigade, who removed the remains from the canal. The first inspection carried out by the officers found no visible signs of violence and the subsequent autopsy determined that the cause of death was natural, thus ruling out any indication of criminal activity.
The body was found in an area frequented by cyclists and walkers who usually use the paved track that runs parallel to the Trasvase canal. According to the officers at the time of the discovery, the deceased’s clothing and a bicycle suggested that he was one of the many cycling enthusiasts who regularly travel along the road.
The Transfer Canal, which connects the La Pedrera reservoir with the Campo de Cartagena, is a long hydraulic infrastructure, with more than 60 kilometres that cross the Orihuela and Pilar coastline. Although it was previously accessible to vehicles, the Segura Hydrographic Confederation (CHS) has now cut off access to them. However, it continues to allow the use of the track by pedestrians and cyclists.
Initially, there was speculation that the deceased may have been run over by a car that was driving through the area. In the end, everything seems to indicate that he may have suffered from dizziness or a heart attack that caused him to accidentally fall down into the canal
