The boar had already been spotted in the bay by people in boats, who tried in vain to catch the animal. When the course was set for the beach, the people on the boats alerted the lifeguards.
They tried to keep the bathers away from the boar, but when the animal stormed onto the beach, a 67-year-old woman was unable to avoid it. She sustained a minor bite wound. After crossing the beach, the animal disappeared along the boulevard in the direction of Altea, according to images on Facebook.
Local authorities suspect the boar came from the nearby Serra Gelada Nature Reserve, which extends over some 2,000 hectares in the area between Benidorm and Altea. This coastal region is also popular with winter visitors. The climate is pleasant in winter.
Wild boars can be a big problem, not so much because of their beach manners, but because they eagerly feed on planted crops. They also regularly cause traffic accidents, ruin golf courses and occasionally come face to face with people, which is not without danger. Wild boars can also spread a variety of diseases. Local authorities in nearby Denia have now dusted off a plan to fight the beasts with bows and arrows. Hunting with firearms is prohibited.