Storm Gloria claims first fatal victim in Catalonia
Council sources say the man entered an area of the port that had been closed off for the danger posed by the conditions
A 69-year-old man from Palafrugell, northern Catalonia, died on Wednesday after falling into the water at the port of Palamós, according to sources from the City Council and Civil Protection.
The man had driven to Port Marina in Palamós to check the status of a family member's boat. Municipal sources have said the victim accessed an area of the port that had been closed off due to the danger posed by the adverse conditions.
He parked near the boat before he is then believed to have been hit by a wave, suffering a severe blow to the head at that moment, according to the same sources.
Port workers pulled him out of the water and medical staff attempted to resuscitate him without success.
Emergency services continue to look for a person who had fallen into the harbor while trying to moor a boat on Tuesday.
On Thursday morning, it was announced that two further people were missing due to the extreme overnight conditions.
One of the missing people is being searched for in Jorba, a small town in central Catalonia, and the other in Cabacés, outside Tarragona.
In total, health services responded to 78 medical requests in the last few days as a result of the storm.