MADRID – Four people have died after falling into the sea in three incidents on Spain's Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, emergency services said Thursday.
The deaths came amid warnings of strong winds and widespread rain across many parts of the country and warnings of high waves on Portugal's coast to the southwest.
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Spanish police said an underage male of Moroccan nationality and a German adult died on the Mediterranean coast near the eastern city of Tarragona. The German man went into the water trying to save the Moroccan youth and both perished, the Civil Guard said.
A man and a woman died after falling into the Atlantic Ocean on Spain’s northern coast, emergency services for the region of Asturias said. Spain's EFE news agency quoted local authorities as saying the man was of British nationality.
Emergency services said rescuers had recovered the bodies in two separate incidents that occurred around 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart along a stretch of coast west of the northern city of Gijón.
The man’s body was pulled from the sea without signs of life after emergency services said they were informed that a person had fallen into the sea. The body of the woman, presumably Spanish, was recovered after she fell into the sea and was thrown against the rocks by the waves, authorities said.
Spain’s national weather service issued warnings Thursday for heavy winds in several areas of the peninsula. Those included the Asturias’ coast, where waves reaching 7 meters (23 feet) in height were forecast.
Spain’s Atlantic coastal area hasn't been hit by the drought affecting its northeast, including Tarragona, and southern regions.
The rain caused some cities to cancel Easter Week processions scheduled for Thursday.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere issued warnings for high waves in areas on the coasts of that Iberian nation. Northwesterly waves of 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16.4 feet) were forecast on the west coast, and southwesterly waves measuring 3 to 4 meters (9.8 to 13 feet) were expected Friday into early Saturday.