British Man Dies After Trying to Cross Flooded Creek in Spain
A 48-year-old British national living in Olivella was killed when his car was swept away by torrential rain.
A British man has died in Spain after attempting to drive his Volvo across a flooded creek during a severe storm. The incident occurred in Olivella, near the coastal resort of Sitges, an hour south of Barcelona.
A town hall official confirmed the deceased was a 48-year-old British national residing in the municipality. Video footage showed the man's vehicle being swept away as he tried to navigate the swollen waterway.
"It is normally a dry waterway but in exceptional circumstances, it fills with water," an official stated. "But the amount of water in it last night and the force the water was moving at was very exceptional."
Firefighters, alerted by a witness around 11 p.m. last night, located the man's body approximately 500 meters from his submerged vehicle at 2:25 a.m. The search involved drones and specialist divers. Police are treating the event as a tragic accident.
A spokesperson for the regional Mossos d'Esquadra police force confirmed the man's age and nationality. A forensic expert will determine the exact cause of death, though drowning is expected.
Sources indicated the watercourse is not typically considered dangerous and may not have been recognized as a significant flood risk by the victim. "It's likely the man who died didn't realise the danger he was in until he was already surrounded by water," one source said. The investigation aims to determine his activities at the time and whether he was attempting to return home. The man lived in the Las Colinas residential estate.
The fatal incident occurred as northeastern Spain experienced torrential rain and flash floods. Spain's national weather agency, AEMET, had issued warnings for heavy rainfall across eastern regions, including Barcelona. The downpour caused widespread travel disruptions, with flights canceled and roads submerged in Catalonia and Valencia. In Barcelona, some metro stations were closed, buses were diverted, and trains were canceled. Valencia recorded over 70mm of rainfall in just 30 minutes, evoking memories of a severe 2024 flood disaster in the region.