A 60-year-old man was found alive on Monday night following a search along Torreira beach in the Portuguese municipality of Murtosa.
The man appeared to be in good health when rescuers located him, though authorities confirmed he would be taken for a medical evaluation.
His brother raised the alarm with the Aveiro Maritime Police at approximately 9:15 pm on Monday after the man failed to return home. The missing hiker had last been seen by his family member at around 5:00 pm, just before he set off for a walk along the sandy shore of Torreira beach.
Multi-agency search effort
A coordinated search operation was launched immediately under the leadership of the Aveiro Maritime Police. Emergency response teams assigned to the local Sea-Watch project joined the rescue efforts alongside local firefighters and officers from the Murtosa Guarda Nacional Republicana.
Torreira is a coastal town in the municipality of Murtosa, located within the Aveiro District of central Portugal. Situated on a coastal peninsula separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Ria de Aveiro lagoon, Torreira beach features an extensive stretch of coastline that attracts both local residents and visitors throughout the year.
Coastal emergency response in Portugal
The Maritime Police operates under Portugal's National Maritime Authority as the primary agency enforcing law and safety across coastal zones, ports, and beaches. In municipal regions such as Murtosa, emergency responses are routinely supported by the Guarda Nacional Republicana, Portugal's national gendarmerie force, as well as local volunteer firefighter brigades.
The Sea-Watch program is a seasonal coastal surveillance and rescue initiative operating across Portuguese beaches. The project equips maritime authorities and lifeguards with specialized all-terrain vehicles and rescue gear to assist in rapid search operations along sandy and difficult-to-access coastal areas.
Following his discovery on Monday night, medical personnel were set to assess the man's condition to ensure he suffered no lingering ill effects from his evening ordeal.
