Man dies after being crushed by beach cleaning vehicle while asleep in Spanish holiday hotspot

A man has died after being run over by a beach cleaning vehicle while sleeping on a Spanish beach.

The incident unfolded at L'Arrabassada Beach in Tarragona at around 6am, where the victim had reportedly been lying beneath a blanket on the sand.

Emergency services treated the man at the scene before taking him to hospital, where he arrived conscious.

Initial assessments suggested his injuries were not life-threatening.

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However, according to local outlet El Caso, his condition deteriorated throughout the day and he died at Joan XXIII Hospital the following day.

The operator of the beach cleaning vehicle told police he had not seen the man before the collision.

Officers carried out a breath test on the driver at the scene, which he passed.

The victim has not yet been formally identified.

The Catalan Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Tarragona City Council has also confirmed it will review the tragedy and introduce additional safety measures to help prevent similar incidents in the future, according to local newspaper El País.

L'Arrabassada Beach is one of Tarragona's most popular beaches, stretching around 550 metres and attracting thousands of visitors each year.

The fatal collision comes just weeks after the same beach was struck by another tragedy.

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On June 19, three boys drowned after a group of six friends entered the sea together.

A 12-year-old boy died at the scene despite almost 45 minutes of resuscitation attempts, while two 13-year-old boys later died in hospital.

Tarragona City Council declared three days of official mourning following the deaths.

The tragedy comes just months after a British tourist died while on holiday in Tenerife after a “freak wave” knocked her into rocks during a morning swim.

Rose Buck, 56, a postal worker from West Yorkshire, had gone into the sea at Costa Adeje, Tenerife, on February 25 after discovering her hotel pool was closed.

Her daughter, Chantelle Buck-Forrest, 39, said her mother was a “really strong swimmer” who regularly sought out the calm waters of a spot she called the “blue lagoon”.

The area is typically sheltered and popular with swimmers of all ages.

However, as Ms Buck swam close to rocks, a sudden wave struck and threw her violently against them.

Ms Buck-Forrest believes a 4.1 magnitude earthquake recorded in Tenerife that day may have triggered the unusual surge.

She said: “She was a really strong swimmer and she was swimming the perimeter of the lagoon and it was just one freak wave that took her. It just flung her against the rocks.”

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