Man Found Casually Floating On Pool Inflatable 37 Kilometres Of Coast Of Estepona

A man was plucked from nan Mediterranean connected Monday afternoon, November 10, aft being spotted floating connected a excavation lilo (inflatable bed) much than 20 nautical miles (37 km) disconnected nan seashore of Estepona, successful what Salvamento Marítimo has said was a “miracle he wasn’t swept distant for good.”

The bizarre sighting was first reported astatine 12.43pm by nan Maltese-flagged chemic tanker Epic Shikoku. Crew members connected nan span noticed a mini speck bobbing successful nan swell and, connected person inspection, realised it was a lone man paddling pinch what appeared to beryllium a makeshift oar connected a bright-blue blow-up airbed, nan benignant usually utilized for guests aliases kids successful a plot pool.

Looked for illustration a mislaid artifact astatine first, but turned retired to beryllium a man

“It looked for illustration a artifact astatine first,” said a spokesperson for Salvamento Marítimo’s Tarifa Coordination Centre. “But binoculars confirmed it was an big male, afloat clothed, calmly paddling successful nan mediate of unfastened water.”

The Salvamar Gadir, a high-speed rescue trade based successful Ceuta, was instantly scrambled, and wrong an hr nan unit located nan man, hauled him aboard, and recovered him acold but unharmed and successful remarkably bully spirits.

Not a migrant – conscionable gone for a paddle

“He wasn’t a migrant, he wasn’t successful distress, and he didn’t look to deliberation 37 kilometres offshore connected a excavation artifact was peculiarly strange,” nan spokesperson added. “He conscionable said he’d gone retired for a paddle, and nan existent took him farther than planned.”

The rescued man, whose personality has not been released, was transferred to Estepona port, wherever he was checked by aesculapian unit and released without injury.

Salvamento Marítimo seized nan infinitesimal to punctual nan nationalist of nan dangers of treating nan oversea for illustration a swimming pool. In a tweet posted soon aft nan rescue, nan agency wrote: “The oversea is not a toy. Respect it, return care, salary attraction and ever practise information successful nan sea.”

More surrealism group adrift

Monday’s incident is only nan latest successful a drawstring of surreal rescues on Spain’s confederate coast. In caller years, coastguard teams person pulled group retired everything from elephantine inflatable unicorns to supermarket trolleys converted into rafts, successful amongst nan occasional half-sunken drug-trafficking sub and packets of cocaine.

Flamingo Fiasco successful Spain’s Canary Islands (2025): Off Playa de Las Burras successful Gran Canaria, a group of young group connected a monolithic pink flamingo float were blown 400 metres retired by upwind and currents—the “sail effect” turning it into a runaway kite. Cruz Roja (Red Cross) sped to nan rescue. They warned: these toys enactment for illustration sails successful offshore breezes—leave them for pools!

The Doughnut Drifter disconnected Spain (2023): Yacht crews spotted what looked for illustration debris miles offshore adjacent nan Balearics, but it was a man successful a wetsuit clinging to a giant doughnut-shaped excavation float. He waved frantically arsenic they threw lines and pulled him aboard. Mystery surrounded it—he had ID, cash, and a telephone successful a waterproof pouch, starring immoderate to estimate he jumped from a vessel alternatively than a casual drift gone wrong.