Tourist, 67, dies after car plunges into the sea while driving off a ferry on holiday island Menorca

A TOURIST has died after his car plunged into the sea while driving off a ferry in Menorca.

The 67-year-old man was tragically pronounced dead at the scene after he was pulled from the freezing water.

Shocked witnesses said the vehicle “appeared to deviate” and fell off the side of the road by the ferry at around 9pm on Thursday.

The incident is being probed by cops – and the port authority and is investigating why the car failed to stop at the edge of the docks.

The man’s nationality is not yet known.

Divers recovered his body from the water and tried to resuscitate him for more than half an hour.

He was found to be in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at the scene.

There were initial fears that two other people may have been in the car – but his ferry ticket revealed he was the sole occupant.

The tragic accident happened in the port of Ciutadella.

The vehicle fell into the sea a few minutes after disembarking from the Margarita Salas de Baleària ferry.

The vehicle had left normally from the Margarita Salas, which covers the route between Alcúdia and Barcelona, and the driver was in the queue to leave the port facilities.

But the car “deviated” from the queue and ended up falling into the water from the eastern dock of the Son Blanc breakwater.

Several crew members of the ship immediately jumped into the sea to try to help the driver – but couldn’t rescue him in time.

Emergency services were notified of the incident at 9.21pm, officials said.

An advanced life support ambulance along with doctors rushed to the scene.

The Menorca Firefighters also mobilised and managed to extract the driver from inside the car.

Ports de les Illes, the company that manages the facility, has verified that the ramps between the ship and the dock were in working order.

The car was recovered by a crane and is now being examined to determine whether it had any faults or if the brakes failed.

Last year, a British holidaymaker drowned after being swept into the sea by a wave during a coastline stroll in Menorca.

The 72-year-old was knocked off his feet on rocks near a landmark sea arch on the north side of Ciutadella bay called Pont d’en Gil.

Residents in a nearby apartment block called 999 after seeing him in difficulties in the water.

The sea currents took him further away from the coastline and he was already dead by the time firefighters in a dinghy reached him.

His body was taken to Ciutadella Port where he was formally pronounced dead.