By INÊS LOPES & DAISY SAMPSON [email protected]
A 53-year old German tourist is in intensive care in Faro hospital after being seriously injured by a rock fall on an Algarve beach.
The man had been on Praia dos Beijinhos in the Lagoa municipality, a small secluded beach between Armação de Pêra and Senhora da Rocha, when a rock fall left him requiring medical assistance.
The incident occurred around 10.20am on Monday, October 11, and the man was attended to by emergency services, including helicopter, at the scene before being taken to the Hospital for further treatment.
A spokesman from Faro Hospital told the Algarve Resident: “The man is in intensive care and was operated on later on Monday to treat fractures on his arm and leg. The operation was deemed to be a success and he will remain in hospital to recover further.”
While in hospital, the tourist, a teacher who has been visiting the region for the past 16 years, was visited by Algarve tourism authority (ERTA) president Nuno Aires.
“He is in good spirits and says he is being treated well. He is a regular visitor to the Algarve and has promised me that he will return to the region, although next time he will pay more attention to the signage at beaches,” said Nuno Aires.
Visible signs
A cliff path connecting the beaches is badly eroded and there are visible signs both on the cliff tops and at the beach entrance warning beach users of the danger of rock falls.
Two other German tourists who arrived at the beach shortly after the rock fall told the Algarve Resident: “When we arrived, a doctor was already here treating the man. We cannot understand why anyone would be close enough to the cliffs to be hit with rocks as the signs to the entrance clearly show that this area is dangerous.”
One of them added: “The maps at the entrance to the beach not only indicate that it is dangerous directly below the cliff but also for some distance out from the base. I don´t understand why people do not heed these clear warnings.”
A member of staff from the nearby Restaurante Calixtos A Rocha on the adjacent Praia Vale Olival told the Algarve Resident: “We heard the helicopter coming and I went to see what had happened. I have to say that he is very lucky to be alive as the accident could have been much worse.”
At the time the Algarve Resident went to press on Wednesday the German man’s condition was described as stable by a spokesman from Faro Hospital.
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