A 53-year-old man has died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Butihondo Beach in the municipality of Pájara, Fuerteventura, yesterday afternoon (Sunday).

The incident happened at around 5:30pm, when the Canary Islands Emergency and Security Coordination Centre (CECOES) received reports that a man on an inflatable lilo was struggling in the water.

Before emergency crews arrived at the beach, the man was rescued from the sea by the occupants of a private boat, who brought him back to shore. A beach lifeguard found him to be in cardiac arrest and immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

When SUC paramedics arrived, they continued both basic and advanced resuscitation efforts on the beach. Unfortunately, despite their attempts, they were unable to revive the man, and his death was confirmed at the scene.

The Guardia Civil took charge of the body until the arrival of the judicial authorities, who gave permission for it to be removed and taken for autopsy, and have opened the corresponding investigation into the incident.

The tragedy comes as drowning deaths in the Canary Islands continue to rise, with recent figures showing a 30% increase in fatalities across the archipelago this year.