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A 67-year-old tourist has tragically lost his life after his car plunged into the cold waters of the sea while driving off a ferry in Menorca. The incident occurred just after 9pm on Thursday November 20 at the commercial port of Ciutadella, moments after the vehicle disembarked from the Margarita Salas de Baleària ferry, which operates between Alcúdia and Barcelona.

 

Eyewitnesses described the car as having “appeared to deviate” from the queue waiting to exit the port and then plunging into the water from the eastern dock of the Son Blanc breakwater. Despite quick action by ferry crew members who jumped into the sea and rescue divers who retrieved him, attempts to resuscitate the man for over half an hour were unsuccessful. He was found in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at the scene.

 

Emergency services responded swiftly, with advanced life support and basic ambulances arriving along with medical personnel from Ciutadella. Firefighters managed to extract the driver from the submerged vehicle. Although there were initial concerns that more people might have been in the car, records confirmed he was the sole occupant.

 

Ports de les Illes, which manages the facility, confirmed that the ramps connecting the ferry to the dock were in good working order. The vehicle was later recovered by crane and is now under investigation to determine whether any mechanical failure or brake issues contributed to the accident.

 

 

 

Image: wikicommons