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An 18-year-old Cuban, identified by the initials J. L. G. P., died this Wednesday in Las Caldas, in the city of Oviedo, Asturias, after drowning in a deep pool known as El Barco.
It happened in the Nalón River, an area frequented by swimmers but also flagged by local residents as dangerous.
The victim was in the water alongside her father, her three younger brothers, and other relatives.
According to witnesses, the young man had jumped into the river a few meters upstream of the group to let himself be carried away by the current, a common practice among swimmers in the area.
However, as he approached the shore, he began to raise his hands and call for help.
“I thought he was joking, but then I saw that he wasn’t and I went after him”, his father told the authorities.
A 15-year-old cousin also tried to help. They both got within four or five meters of the young man, but he sank and disappeared under the water.
The area of the incident, on the right bank of the river, can reach depths of up to six meters and features submerged vegetation and branches that may have trapped the young man, according to authorities.
It is also possible that he/she experienced some indisposition.
Three hours of anguish
The disappearance happened around 5:25 PM this Wednesday.
Immediately, a large rescue operation was initiated. The Operational Services Center (COS) of the Civil Guard deployed patrols, a helicopter, the Mountain Rescue Group (Greim) from Mieres, and the Special Underwater Activities Group (GEAS).
The firefighters from Oviedo, SAMU, the local police, the national police, and a psychological support team from 112 also joined in.
Meanwhile, on the shore, the young man's father was waiting for news.
The mother and the sisters had been evacuated by the emergency services due to the strong emotional impact.
At 8:15 PM, two divers from GEAS entered the water and, just two minutes later, located the body.
He was "in the middle of the river, about five meters deep," exactly where his father had indicated.
The recovery of the body was carried out just nine meters from the shore and about a hundred meters upstream from the Las Caldas suspension bridge.
A place marked by prior tragedies
This is the first drowning death in Asturias this summer, but it is not the first tragedy in this area.
In 2020, another 19-year-old young man drowned very near the location where the body of J. L. G. P. was found.
Residents of the area describe the Nalón pool as "very dangerous" due to its depth, whirlpools, and the water flow, which was particularly murky that day. In fact, there have been community requests to prohibit swimming in this part of the river.
"The Nalón pool where a young man died, a dangerous place touched by death", titled El Comercio, recalling that in the past a similar tragedy had occurred in the same area.
The family of the deceased was assisted by psychologists from 112 following the confirmation of the body’s discovery.
Authorities from the municipal government also attended the area, including the City Councilor for Citizen Security, José Ramón Prado, to closely monitor the operation.
On the path of Fuso, near the site, family and neighbors gathered, moved by the tragedy.
The impact was especially strong because the young man was well-known in the community and was described as an athletic guy, over 1.80 meters tall, and he knew how to swim.
The tragedy has once again brought to the forefront the debate about safety conditions in natural bathing areas, especially those that are unregulated and unsupervised.
The authorities do not rule out that, in light of what has occurred, requests will be renewed to limit or more clearly signal the risks.
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