Decomposed male body found at Es Carnatge dog beach

Body found at the dog beach

On Sunday afternoon, around 4:00 pm, walkers at the small dog beach of Es Carnatge in Palma discovered a heavily decomposed body. The weather was typical for mid-November: cool, a little windy, with grey clouds over the bay. Passersby alerted the emergency services – shortly after a team from the Guardia Civil and GEAS, the special unit for underwater recovery, arrived at the beach.

Recovery and cordon

The body was floating only a few meters from the rocky shoreline and could be recovered relatively easily by the rescue teams. On land the area was immediately cordoned off and the body covered; ambulance services and the criminal police took over the scene. For residents and cyclists, who often use the route beneath the flight path, it was a visible, disturbing operation – right in a section that is otherwise fairly quiet.

Who was the man?

Due to the advanced state of decomposition it is currently hardly possible to say anything about identity or age. According to initial information, investigators are not excluding any possible origin at this stage but tend to believe it could be a migrant who got into distress during a crossing. A final clarification is pending; samples and forensic examinations are expected to provide answers.

Es Carnatge lies close to the airport runway and is relatively undeveloped there – only a few ruins and a narrow path separate the beach and the fields. For that reason the stretch is often used by dog owners, cyclists and hikers. Some residents mention that in recent years bodies have occasionally washed ashore; the Atlantic—uh, the Mediterranean—shows no mercy, one might almost say.

What happens next

The Guardia Civil is conducting the investigation. Forensic evidence collection, case documentation, and the analysis of mobile phone or boat movement data are planned. The police are also asking the public for information: Who saw unusual boats over the weekend? Who is missing a person who might match the description? Leads could help clarify the circumstances.

For people here this remains an uncomfortable topic. The beach, where children play in summer and dogs romp in the sand, suddenly feels different on a November afternoon. People move on, but many pause for a moment, look out at the water and think: Hopefully the investigators will know more soon.