A British pensioner has drowned while trying to rescue her granddaughter from the sea on the last day of their Spanish holiday.
The 69-year-old grandmother drowned as she went to the aid of her 10-year-old granddaughter with her partner and the youngster’s mum on the last day of the family’s holiday in Menorca.
The grandmother's husband and daughter also tried to reach the child after she started drifting away from the coast towards a rocky area and her small inflatable turned over due to strong currents.
The victim’s husband brought her body to shore. The girl and her mum were rescued unharmed by other beachgoers who used ropes that normally serve to protect a dune area to help them out of the water.
The horrible tragedy happened around 1pm on Wednesday at Cavalleria Beach, an unspoilt cove on the north side of Menorca where the family were enjoying the last hours of their Mediterranean holiday.
Emergency responders, including police, paramedics and firefighters, rushed to the scene after the alarm was raised but there was nothing they could do to save the woman.
Police were investigating the tragedy last night and officers will send a report to a nearby court.
The horrible tragedy happened around 1pm on Wednesday in Menorca (File pic)
It is not yet clear where in the UK the family involved comes from.
The British family had been staying at a villa in Son Bou on Menorca’s central-southern coast and had been on the island for around a week.
The dead woman’s granddaughter was blown towards the area, where her inflatable was overturned by strong gusts of northern wind reaching nearly 30 miles an hour.
The lifeguard service had ended on October 15, meaning there was no professional help for them.
The ropes other beachgoers used to help the child and her mum to safety were those that separate the rest of the beach from the protected dune area.
Joan Palliser, mayor of the municipality of Es Mercadal which the beach forms part of, also went to the scene.
A Spanish Coastguard helicopter was put on standby after the alarm was raised but didn’t end up being needed.
The Civil Guard police force is leading the investigation, even though it is being treated as an accidental tragedy.
Cavalleria Beach is a large undeveloped sandy stretch with crystal-clear waters, split by a rocky formation.
It is heavily exposed to the Tramontana north wind, which can blow sand as well as cause strong waves and currents, with travel reviewers saying it is best visited on days with a southern wind.