A British tourist has been arrested after he tried to drown a woman in the sea at a Benidorm beach and then attacked a child.
The 44-year-old, who was staying at a hotel in the Costa Blanca resort, is being held in hospital pending a psychiatric evaluation following the incident, according to local reports.
He was detained on suspicion of attempted homicide, wounding and threats before being taken into custody.
According to local media, the unnamed man unleashed his violent rampage at Poniente Beach, one of Benidorm’s most popular beaches.
He allegedly tried to drown a Norwegian 34-year-old woman who was swimming with her boyfriend.
The Brit is said to have grabbed her by the neck and forced her head underwater, shouting ‘I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill you’, Spanish newspaper ABC Diario reports.
The woman’s partner was able to intervene and set her free, but the Brit then headed towards the shore and grabbed a five-year-old Spanish boy by the neck, and tried to suffocate him by forcing his face into the sand and holding him down, reports say.
The child’s mother rushed to his aid with other sunbathers, before a lifeguard restrained the Brit until police arrived.
Local reports said he behaved violently after his arrest and tried to kill himself in his police cell with a blanket, which led to him being handcuffed and placed under a 24/7 watch.
A British tourist has been arrested after he tried to drown a woman in the sea at a Benidorm beach and then attacked a child. File image: Crowded beach in Benidorm, May 2026
He has now been admitted to Villajoyosa Hospital for medical reasons and is under police guard there pending a mental health evaluation.
Although local police employed by Benidorm Town Hall made the arrest, he was handed over to the National Police before being admitted to hospital.
Neither force has yet made any official comment on the incident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.
