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Date Published: 01/05/2025

Irishman drowns in front of son during Costa del Sol blackout

The victim’s wife has passed away just six weeks before his tragic death in Malaga

A family holiday has ended in unthinkable tragedy after an Irish man drowned off the coast of Torremolinos on Monday April 28 in the middle of the massive power outage that plunged all of Spain into darkness. The horrifying incident occurred just six weeks after the death of the man’s wife and in full view of his young son.

The man, named only as Darren and believed to be in his 50s, had travelled to Spain’s Costa del Sol with his son and the boy’s grandmother. The trip was reportedly intended to help the family grieve the recent passing of Darren’s wife.

Crucially, the blackout also knocked out mobile networks, leaving bystanders unable to call for help in time.

Darren got into difficulty in rough seas during the afternoon, swept away by a strong current that had been affecting much of the southern coast. There were no lifeguards present at the time, as it is not yet peak season.

Among the witnesses was Dutch tourist Menno van Oorschot, who later shared the events in a widely circulated Facebook post:

“Dear all, I usually share positive holiday messages. But today was a very sad day in the always beautiful southern Spain,” Mr van Oorschot began.

“The sea was extremely rough today, with a dangerously strong current. There were no lifeguards in sight, as it's not yet peak season,” he continued.

“I even said to my friend Ingo, 'Let's hope no one goes into the sea…'”

He described the moment the situation turned tragic:

“While we were having a drink on the beach, I suddenly saw someone sinking into the sea about 80 metres away from us. Without hesitation, I threw my things to Lindsay and jumped into the rough sea toward the person.”

“Along with several others, we managed to get the man back to the beach and began resuscitation. Sadly, all our efforts were in vain. The man died.”

“What struck me most was that the man we pulled from the water was on vacation with his son and grandmother, trying to process the loss of the boy's mother, who sadly passed away six weeks before the trip. Now, the father has also passed away, and that touches me deeply.”

Spain's nationwide power failure on Monday created chaos across the country, disrupting emergency communication networks, traffic systems and public services.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is aware of the incident and is providing consular assistance to the family.

In other news: British tourist gives birth outside hotel during Spanish blackout

Image: JI FilpoC via Wikimedia Commons

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