Search underway for missing 16-year-old after jet ski excursion off Roses, diver rescued in separate Cadaqués incident

The missing jet skier

A 16-year-old boy vanished on Wednesday evening during a guided jet ski excursion off Roses, on the Costa Brava. The group, consisting of three youths and an instructor, encountered a problem and began returning toward Santa Margarida. During the return, the group realised the teenager had not reached the designated meeting point. The family, having expected him around 8:30 p.m., went to the company's base and alerted emergency services.

Salvamento Marítimo received the alert around 10:30 p.m., though the fire brigade was notified at 00:48 a.m. on Thursday. The boy was last seen around 9:00 p.m. near the Almadrava and Cala Canyelles area, with the last known sighting point being the Castell de la Trinitat. The search is being led by the Guardia Civil under the supervision of Court No. 4 in Figueres.

Multi-agency search operation

The search operation involves Bombers de la Generalitat, Protecció Civil, Salvamento Marítimo, Guardia Civil, Mossos d'Esquadra, and the local police of Roses, with the Red Cross also joining on Thursday morning. Assets include a Salvamento Marítimo helicopter, several Salvamar vessels, and from the fire brigade, a drone unit and an underwater team. The search is combing the coast by land, sea, and air, with aerial means expected to be incorporated throughout Thursday morning.

The Cadaqués diver rescue

Hours earlier, a separate emergency operation concluded successfully. A 24-year-old female diver disappeared on Wednesday morning while diving with her partner in the S'Encalladora integral reserve off Cadaqués. Strong southern currents, north winds exceeding 25 knots, and two-metre waves complicated the situation. The pair tried to shed their tanks and weights; the man, a Spanish national familiar with the area, managed to swim to shore and call emergency services.

After more than seven hours, the cruise ship Seabourn Venture spotted the diver approximately two nautical miles northwest of her disappearance point. The Salvamento Marítimo helicopter Helimer 202 rescued her from the water and transferred her to Girona Airport. She was in apparent good condition but was taken to Hospital Trueta de Girona for a check-up.

“The diver was located approximately two nautical miles northwest of Cap de Creus.”

Weather and conditions

Sources from Salvamento Marítimo confirmed strong southern currents were present during the diver's disappearance. The adverse conditions forced some search teams to temporarily suspend operations. The diver was wearing a dry suit with a buoyancy control vest, leading rescue sources to believe she could remain on the surface, though possibly many miles from the original site.