A tragic incident occurred early Monday morning on a beach in northern Portugal, where a young Portuguese woman living in Luxembourg suffered a cardiac arrest.

According to reports from Jornal de Noticias, the incident occurred around 6am on the Atlantic coast north of Porto. The victim, a 24-year-old woman, drowned at sea. Initially, there was confusion regarding her nationality, with some Portuguese media claiming she was from Luxembourg while the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed she was Portuguese.

The accident took place on the beach of Póvoa de Varzim, a popular tourist spot on the Atlantic. The young woman went into the sea after leaving a beach bar and disappeared. Her friends alerted the police, prompting the maritime police of Póvoa de Varzim and a helicopter from the Portuguese Air Force to mobilise for rescue efforts, as reported by local sources.

Despite rescue teams locating her and bringing her ashore, the woman had already suffered a cardiac arrest. Attempts by SAMU rescuers to resuscitate her were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene around 7:30am. Her body was then transported to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Porto.

This tragic incident comes after a similar fatality at the same location towards the end of 2022, when a young soldier also lost his life at sea.

The Maritime Police have engaged their psychology service to provide support to the victim's friends during this difficult time.