The 45-year-old man was travelling with his family on a ferry between Cambrils and Salou in Catalonia
12:22, 06 Sep 2026Updated 12:22, 06 Sep 2026
(Image: komyvgory via Getty Images)
A British died while on holiday in Spain after leaping from a ferry in an apparent bid to ‘swim to a beach bar’. The 45-year-old was travelling alongside his brother and parents aboard a ferry making its way between the neighbouring coastal towns of Cambrils and Salou in Catalonia, north-east Spain.
The incident unfolded on Friday evening (September 4). According to local publication Diari de Tarragona, the man ‘threw himself from the window of the ferry’, which is understood to have been just minutes away from docking at the port of Salou.
The newspaper reports that the man appeared to have intended to swim the remaining distance of the ferry’s route. His 42 year old brother is said to have jumped in after him but managed to survive, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The newspaper said: “The circumstances of the drowning are surprising, since the victim jumped into the water from a tourist ferry that makes the Cambrils-Salou route and vice versa (from port to port) voluntarily.”
Sadly, the man becomes the 14th person to have died off the Tarragona coastline — a much-loved holiday destination for British tourists — this summer, and the first fatality recorded there in September.
The newspaper also claimed that the brothers ‘wanted to drink beer on board’, and after being refused by the captain, proceeded to jump from the ferry’s window.
Crew members onboard the ferry contacted the emergency services at 6.41pm local time (5.41pm BST), reporting that the two men had gone overboard. Maritime Rescue teams were subsequently dispatched to search for them.
The brothers’ parents remained on the ferry throughout the rescue operation. According to reports, they were confident their sons would reach the shore safely, as both were strong swimmers.
The man’s body was recovered, with Mossos d’Esquadra officers cordoning off the area from the public. At 9.25pm local time (8.25pm BST) a forensic doctor attended the scene to carry out the removal.
The Civil Guard in Tarragona has now launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. The findings of a post-mortem examination are expected to follow in due course and should establish the exact cause of death.
Before being informed of their son’s death, the man’s parents provided statements detailing what had taken place. Psychologists were brought in to provide support to the grieving family.