23-year-old Brit dies after falling off iconic viewpoint in Sitges

A 23-year-old British citizen died in the early hours of Tuesday after falling off Baluard, one of the most iconic viewpoints in the seaside town of Sitges, around 40 kilometers south of Barcelona. The news was first published by La Vanguardia newspaper, and confirmed by the Catalan News Agency.

The Catalan police, Mossos d'Esquadra, believe the fatality was accidental, and have for now ruled out foul play or suicide.

The events took place at around 3:15 am local time, when the young man fell off the viewpoint, at a height of around 5 meters, and crashed into the rocks that are used as a retaining wall for the nearby breakwater.

A friend and another person called the emergency services and stayed in the place until they arrived, but their efforts were unable to save his life.

An autopsy will determine the exact cause of death, but Mossos believe it was an accident.

"We are offering our support to the family of a British citizen who has died in the Catalan town of Sitges," a spokesperson from the British embassy in Madrid told Catalan News.

"We are also in contact with the local authorities," the statement added.

The 23-year-old did not live in Sitges, a tourist hotspot near the Catalan capital.

According to La Vanguardia, the police believe he was acting "reckless" by climbing up a cannon atop the old bastion that is one of the town's most emblematic sites, right next to Sitges' Església de la Punta church. 

The newspaper also reported that he was a tourist and that not only the Catalan and local police were at the scene, but also firefighters and health emergency services.