Two paddle surfers made the grim discovery near Torrevieja’s salt canal, with investigators probing whether the deceased may have been a migrant who died during a sea crossing.
The Civil Guard has opened an investigation after a body was found washed ashore on La Mata beach in Torrevieja early on Monday afternoon.
The grim discovery was made by two paddle surfers, who spotted a lifeless body floating in the water near the northern end of the coastline, close to the La Mata salt canal and the border with Guardamar del Segura.
According to the official Torrevieja Security, Emergency and Local Police social media account, Local Police officers were called to the scene and immediately activated the standard protocol for such incidents.
Recovering the body proved particularly complex due to its advanced state of decomposition and the conditions in which it was found.
Civil Guard officers also attended the scene and took charge of the initial proceedings. The body was later removed from the beach after being covered with a thermal blanket.
Investigators are now working to identify the deceased and establish the circumstances surrounding the death.
Sources from the Civil Guard Command in Alicante said late on Tuesday that early indications, including the clothing found on the body and its condition, suggest the deceased could have been a migrant travelling by boat towards the Alicante coast. However, this has not yet been confirmed and the investigation remains ongoing.
Torrevieja Local Police thanked the members of the public who raised the alarm, praising their cooperation and sense of responsibility. They also highlighted the professionalism of all emergency and public services involved in the operation.
In recent weeks, several bodies have been found washed ashore along the coast, with easterly winds intensifying in recent days. Some of those discoveries have been linked to migrant crossings from Algeria to Spain in small boats, although any connection in this case has yet to be established.
There had been no missing swimmer alert on La Mata beach or in nearby Guardamar. However, lifeguards in Guardamar were kept busy over the weekend, particularly on Saturday, with repeated rescues of bathers struggling to get out of the water.
