Body of missing teenager found in Spain after extensive search

THE body of a teenager who went missing while swimming with friends in Spain was found today.

The 18-year-old was believed dead after disappearing from the San Juan reservoir in Madrid on Wednesday.

His body was found about 12 meters from Playa de Muro by the Guardia Civil around 10:45 a.m. today.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was discovered by the GEAS aquatic force approximately 5.6 meters below the water surface.

His body will be taken for a routine autopsy to confirm the cause of death.

The missing teenager was part of a group of four friends who were spending the day at the reservoir.

On Wednesday at 3:10 p.m., one of the group entered the water and, after going some distance, started screaming for help, leading his friends to quickly call the emergency number 112 .

The Guardia Civil rushed to the scene alongside firefighters who used boats to search the water surface and nearby areas.

Search teams worked until 10:20 p.m., including divers who searched the water up to around twenty meters deep.

The water temperature, at only 13°C, would have complicated the search.

On Thursday, police called in drones and additional divers to step up operations, which were hampered by poor visibility in rainy weather.

A Guardia Civil spokesperson said swimming was prohibited in the area where the boy was found, but not in the area where he entered the water.

She added that the reservoir can be dangerous because “the currents and water temperature change abruptly within seconds, in addition to the presence of vegetation at the bottom.”