Spanish tourist drowns while spearfishing in Bali

Local police in Bali confirmed on Tuesday that a 36-year-old Spanish man had died on Sunday, 17 August, on the Indonesian island, while spearfishing without the proper equipment. He had reportedly "passed out or run out of oxygen" while performing the activity. Spokesperson for the Buleleng police Iptu Yohana Rosalin Diaz said that the Spaniard had lost his life in the waters of Gerokgak.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in an area near the coastal town of Pemuteran, in the north-west of Bali, where the man - who was on a holiday - dived into the sea to go spearfishing with goggles and snorkel. Other passengers on the boat in which he was travelling told the police that the victim had not come back to the surface. After an initial unsuccessful search, they called the authorities.

The man reportedly dived more than five metres deep, despite warnings, and his companions lost sight of him. Divers later found his body at a depth of 20 metres and took the body to the shore.

The police, who did not clarify whether the company in charge of the spearfishing activity was under investigation, confirmed that they had already notified the Spanish consulate of the incident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that "the Spanish embassy in Jakarta is following the incident, having contacted the relatives" of the victim.

The Indonesian police also announced that they have extended the search for 72-year-old Spaniard María Matilde Muñoz Cazorla, who went missing on the island of Lombok in the first week of July, with no record of her leaving the Asian country.

In a statement, the West Lombok police station, in charge of the case, explained that an intensive search operation is being maintained, now extended to ports and the airport of this island, situated 210 kilometres east of the tourist island of Bali, where the Spaniard arrived in June. "María last flew to Jakarta on 5 March 2025. There are no flight records (in her name) for the period July-August 2025," says the statement, in which the police claim to have hung posters with the missing woman's face in various places, including public areas and hotels.

There has been no record of María crossing to Bali or other areas by boat.

The local police said they received a letter from the Spanish embassy in Indonesia requesting help, so they began the search on Wednesday, 13 August, adding the woman's name in the search database for missing persons.

"The woman had checked in at room 107 of Bumi Aditya Hotel in Senggigi on 13 June 2025 and extended her stay until 20 July 2025. However, she has not been seen since 1 July 2025," the statement said. The local authorities have asked members of the public to report any information that may be useful in this case, as the whereabouts of Muñoz Cazorla "remain a mystery".

The disappearance of the woman, born in Ferrol (La Coruña) in September 1952 and who lived in Mallorca, was reported on 28 July by close friends, with whom she had been maintaining frequent communication. They reported that the messages sent to her since 7 July no longer appeared as received.