A seventeen-year-old male, Iván Ramos, who was working at a hotel in Cala Egos, died on Wednesday of suspected heat stroke. The teenager was employed for tasks such as collecting glasses and keeping the gardens tidy. At around five o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, following a meal break, he looked in on a cousin who was working in the swimming-pools' machine room. At that moment he collapsed. Lifeguards were the first to respond and then Santanyi police officers went with a defibrillator. The emergency ambulance service arrived but all that the medics could do was to confirm the death.
As a mark of respect for a young man who was well known in the area, the town hall suspended Thursday and Friday events for the Santa Maria del Mar fiestas in Cala d'Or. They will resume today.
The autopsy has failed to confirm that heat stroke was the cause of death. The result of the autopsy may not be known for some weeks; the family medical record and any underlying medical conditions will be studied.
The heatwave that is affecting much of Europe is expected to abate in Majorca from tomorrow. But the drop in temperature will still mean highs of around 35C rather than the 39 to 40C levels which the island has been experiencing. On Thursday, the temperature at the university in Palma reached 41.7C. During the early hours of Thursday morning, some astonishing temperatures were recorded, including 36C at around 2am in Pollensa.
Aemet is maintaining the orange alert for heat risk into tomorrow. On Monday, it forecasts a drop to highs of 32C.