Two People Investigated After Fatal Benidorm Parasailing Accident
Two people are under investigation following the fatal parasailing accident off Benidorm which claimed the life of a British woman in August.
The Guardia Civil has now concluded its investigation into the incident, which happened off the Benidorm coastline on August 10.
A 66-year-old woman died after she and a 47-year-old man were involved in a tandem parasailing flight being towed behind a boat.
According to investigators, the cable connecting the parachute to the boat broke, leaving the pair being carried by strong winds before they fell into the sea.
The woman later died in hospital from the injuries she suffered in the accident. The man was also seriously injured but his life was not considered to be in danger.
The Guardia Civil's investigation examined the weather conditions at the time, including a storm and strong gusts of wind, as well as who was actually operating the boat.
Investigators discovered that the person initially identified as the boat's skipper was not actually at the controls when the accident happened.
That individual later identified another worker as the person who had been operating the boat.
The actual operator did hold the necessary qualification and training to act as skipper, investigators found, but was not formally registered as crew with the company at the time.
The boat operator is now being investigated for alleged negligent homicide and injuries.
The person who initially identified themselves as the skipper is being investigated for alleged concealment.
Neither person has been described as having been arrested in connection with the investigation.
The Guardia Civil has now forwarded its findings to the investigating section of the Benidorm Court of First Instance, where the legal process will continue.
The fatal accident happened during a period of rapidly changing weather conditions along the Costa Blanca and prompted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the parasailing trip.
The latest development comes almost two months after the tragedy and provides a new update into one of the most serious incidents involving a tourist activity in Benidorm this summer.
