A man around 53 years old tragically drowned on Thursday morning at Siboney Beach in Santiago de Cuba, according to local journalist Yosmany Mayeta.
Witnesses reported that the man was swimming with four others in rough seas when the incident occurred. His body was placed on the sand, where it remained for hours awaiting the arrival of the relevant authorities. As of the time of writing, only a small group of police officers had arrived at the scene, with no medical personnel or forensic experts present, despite the incident happening several hours earlier, Mayeta stated on his Facebook page.
A woman, whose husband was nearby, wrote to the journalist's page confirming that the body was still on the beach two hours later. "My husband says they still have him on the sand with just his face covered. It happened this morning, and neither forensic specialists nor anyone from the Siboney clinic has shown up," she recounted.
The victim was swimming with two men and two women when the accident occurred in the choppy waters. Witnesses and close family members have called for assistance in identifying the deceased.
Increase in Drowning Incidents in Santiago de Cuba
This tragic drowning adds to a series of similar incidents in Santiago de Cuba in recent months. In August, a nine-year-old boy named Danger Curo Padilla drowned in the Chalons reservoir, the oldest dam in the country. The child's body was found after a frantic search by his family.
The province has seen a rise in drowning cases at its beaches and reservoirs, some of which are not designated for recreational swimming. In a separate incident, a woman named Amarilis Asin Sosa died at Buey Cabón Beach, and in May, two young men lost their lives at Sardinero Beach.