Two corpses in two places — a day that leaves no one indifferent

Two corpses in two places — a day that leaves no one indifferent

On Wednesday, two bodies were discovered at two different locations along the Balearic coasts. The first signal came around 12:30 p.m.: a passerby spotted a lifeless body drifting in the bay of Cala des Talaier in the municipality of Ciutadella on Menorca. Firefighters and the Guardia Civil responded and secured the scene.

Evening discovery near Alcúdia

Only hours later, around 8:00 p.m., walkers alerted the police in Alcúdia on Mallorca. There, a body was floating about a mile off the coast. Divers from the Guardia Civil's special unit GEAS located the body and brought it to the harbor. In both cases, authorities described the condition as severely decomposed.

The responsible officials have taken over the investigations. According to initial assessments, there could be a link to the small migrant boats that have increasingly arrived from North Africa to the Balearics in recent months. Concrete identities or ages of the victims are not yet known; medical and forensic examinations are ongoing.

On site, fishermen and residents speak of a grim routine they can hardly bear: 'In the last weeks we've seen more of this,' said a fisherman who docked near Alcúdia. Others strolling along the beach during the day were shocked. You hear the sea here every day — and yet at times it is cruelly silent.

Authorities emphasize that every lead matters now: phone numbers, buoy finds, GPS data from sightings. The Guardia Civil is collecting tips and examining whether there are links to known crossings or missing persons.

It's not the first time this season that bodies have been found on the coasts of the islands. Weather, currents and the long crossings in overcrowded, unstable boats put lives at risk. In smaller harbors, aid organizations complain about lack of resources, while politicians debate hardening borders and humanitarian responsibility.

For families who may now be waiting for news, time drags on with anguish. Investigations continue — and the islands once again face a difficult, sad question: how can we prevent such tragedies in the future?