Brit woman, 58, dies after falling from cliff while riding mobility scooter in front of horrified family in Benidorm | The Sun
A BRITISH woman has died after her mobility scooter plunged off a hillside in the Spanish resort of Benidorm.
The 58-year-old reportedly drove the "motorised chair" over the cliff edge in the Serra Gelada Natural Park in Benidorm, Spain.
Fire crews were scrambled to the scene on Wednesday, August 24 at around 4.15pm.
Spanish media reports that the woman was with her eight-year-old grandson at the time.
Her grandson was also injured in the fall, El Periodico reports, but the extent of his injuries is unknown.
It is believed that the boy may have been riding the rented mobility scooter at the same time and was treated for his injuries.
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Spanish press report that for some reason, the scooter was driven off-road and up into a difficult-to-access hillside area.
The path where the tragic accident happened – known as the "barranco" – is incredibly steep and covered with huge stone boulders.
Paramedics treated the woman at the scene where she sadly died following a two-hour rescue operation.
Police are investigating the exact cause of the accident and are inspecting the motorised scooter to make sure it met all legal safety requirements.
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"The fire brigade was sent to the emergency with several vehicles, with the primary aim of rescuing the injured persons as quickly as possible," reported informacion.es.
"On arrival, the firefighters collaborated with the troops of the Local Police of Benidorm and Health Technicians SAMU, who performed resuscitation techniques on a woman, not obtaining positive results."
The news comes as Spanish police reportedly look to clamp down on Brits riding mobility scooters after they saw a surge in popularity sparked by the Benidorm TV sitcom.
Last month, it was reported that Brit tourists could face fines of more than £400 for improper use of the scooters after an investigation claimed some Brits had lied about disabilities in order to hire them.
According to a mobility scooter rental company in the resort city, around 80% of its customers are Brit tourists.
A whistleblower at one firm told Olive Press: "The Brits often lie to use as they do not meet the requirements to get a scooter."
Another worker claimed: "Most of these are young Brits who want to use it to go clubbing to escape the cost of a taxi."
Only those over the age of 55 are allowed to hire the scooters unless they have mobility problems.
Some younger renters have falsely claimed that they were getting the scooter for an older parent, while others allowed unauthorised people to ride them.
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Locals in Benidorm have complained that some tourists break the speed limits in the resort, while others use them in banned areas.
"A campaign has been launched to inform establishments that hire these vehicles to make sure they are complying with municipal by-laws and police officers are also keeping tabs on the people who are using them," a council spokesperson said.
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