A 23-year-old British tourist died in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after accidently falling off the cannon on the ‘Baluard’ near the church in Sitges (Catalonia), and onto the rocks below.
The tragedy occurred at around 3am, with the local police receiving an alert at 3.12am. They immediately rushed to the scene, along with an ambulance of the Medical Emergency Service (SEM). When they arrived, they were able to recover the body, with the help of the young man’s companions.
The group of friends is on holiday in the town, and the British Consulate in nearby Barcelona has been notified. This is the third fatal accident that has occurred surrounding the cannon in Sitges. Nearly 10 years ago an Italian man lost his life after falling from it, and prior to that another British man had also died following a fall.
The cannon is positioned next to the San Bartolome y Santa Tecla church in Sitges, on a lookout known as the ‘Baluard’ – as a gateway to the old town.
The cannon is a replica of an original 18th-century armament, that was removed after 200 years due to the corrosive effect of sea spray. The cannon is the only one remaining of six coastal batteries that once protected the town.
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