A dramatic accident occurred in Benalmádena on the western strip of the Costa del Sol. A car plunged off a cliff in the Torremuelle area after colliding with a private hire vehicle, leaving it upside down on the shoreline rocks with its roof submerged in the water. The car landed just 20 meters from a diver, who rescued the driver from the vehicle.
The accident happened around 11 am on Thursday, July 4, at the roundabout between Avenida del Sol and the Costa del Sol road. Initial investigations indicate that a BMW ride-hailing vehicle collided with a Ford, causing the Ford to be thrown off the road and fall approximately 30 meters. The car somersaulted five or six times before landing in the sea.
At the time of the accident, a Benalmádena resident in his 40s, who is a scuba diver, was on the beach snorkeling and photographing the seabed about 20 meters from where the car landed. Upon witnessing the accident, he swam to the scene.
The diver reached inside the passenger compartment and felt for the occupant, who grabbed his hand. He managed to rescue the driver, likely saving his life as the injuries and disorientation from the accident would have made it difficult for him to escape on his own.
The Benalmádena town hall lifeguard service dispatched a Zodiac boat to transfer the victim to a nearby beach, where he was attended to by 061 ambulance staff. The driver, a man in his 50s, was taken to the hospital with a guarded prognosis. Initially, his life was not believed to be in danger, although there was caution about his injuries due to the car's multiple somersaults.
The Benalmádena Local Police force is investigating to determine responsibility for the accident. The car's location, which has not yet been retrieved, complicates the investigation, as a complete visual inspection has not been possible despite the use of drones.