British boy, 13, in critical condition after plunging 26ft from cliffs on the island of Formentera
British boy, 13, is in a critical condition after suffering ‘severe’ head injuries when he plunged 26ft from cliffs on the holiday island of Formentera
- The teenage boy was pulled unconscious from the sea, health officials reported
- It is understood he was taking part in an activities trip at the time of the incident
- The circumstances that led to the incident are currently under investigation
By Natalia Penza For Mailonline
Published: 04:49 EDT, 1 August 2020 | Updated: 04:49 EDT, 1 August 2020
A British boy has been rushed to hospital in a critical condition after plunging 26ft from cliffs on the holiday island of Formentera.
The unnamed boy, who had just turned 13, suffered a ‘severe’ head injury and was pulled from the sea unconscious, according to health officials.
He is understood to have been taking part on a trip with an outdoor activities firm at the time of the incident.
Emergency responders said the boy plunged from a height of around 26ft, but some local media reports claim he fell from as high as 50 feet.
Emergency responders were scrambled to the scene after the 13-year-old boy fell from a height of 26ft
Emergency teams are pictured about at the scene of the incident
Firefighters rushed to the scene along with local police, Civil Guard and paramedics mobilised by a regional government-run emergency response centre.
After being pulled from the sea, the boy was rushed to a nearby jetty so he could be transported to hospital.
He was initially taken to Formentera Hospital before being transferred by helicopter to a second hospital on another of the Balearic Islands.
Officials initially said he had been taken to Son Espases Hospital in Majorca, although one well-placed source said he was in a private clinic in Ibiza.
The circumstances surrounding the incident, which happened around 1.30pm on Friday in Punta Prima on Formentera’s north coast are under investigation.
The spot where the incident occurred is by steps below the Hotel Club Punta Prima where youngsters have been filmed in the past jumping into the sea from cliffs.
After being pulled from the sea, the boy was rushed to a nearby jetty so he could be transported to hospital
The circumstances surrounding the incident, which happened around 1.30pm on Friday in Punta Prima on Formentera’s north coast are under investigation
There was no immediate suggestion the British boy had jumped from height, with officials describing a ‘fall’ in their initial reports.
Staff at the hotel said they were aware of the incident but confirmed the child was not staying at the establishment.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Majorca confirmed: ‘We are investigating the circumstances.’
A well-placed source added: ‘The injured youngster is a 13-year-old British boy.’
A local health source said in the aftermath of the incident: ‘The boy who has fallen is a youngster who is of foreign nationality.
‘He fell from a height of around eight metres (26 feet).
The spot where the incident occurred is by steps below the Hotel Club Punta Prima where youngsters have been filmed in the past jumping into the sea from cliffs
‘He was taken to Formentera Hospital and then transferred by helicopter to Son Espases Hospital in Majorca.
‘He has suffered a serious head injury and is in a critical condition.’
Another health official later said he was in a private clinic in Ibiza.
On Wednesday a 38-year-old Brit was badly hurt after leaping from a cliff into the sea in Ibiza.
Shocked onlookers recorded the moment the thrill seeker jumped into the water at a beauty spot called Cap Negret near the party resort of San Antonio.
He suffered multiple injuries and was admitted to intensive care at Can Misses Hospital in Ibiza before being moved on Thursday to a traumatology unit.
The unnamed man was initially said to have suffered broken bones and a severe spinal injury, although officials later said no evidence of a spinal problem had been found.
