Three bodies have been found in and around the waters of Formentera over a single weekend, with the Guardia Civil investigating whether the deaths could be connected to migrants who died during a maritime crossing from Algeria towards the Balearic Islands.

The discoveries involved an adult woman, a young male believed to be a minor, and another young man. All three bodies were found in different locations around Formentera between Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6.

The Guardia Civil's initial investigation is considering the possibility that the victims may have travelled aboard migrant boats and died during the crossing. However, the identities of the three people and the precise circumstances of their deaths have not yet been established.

Three discoveries in two days

The first body was discovered on Saturday morning, September 5, at around 8:00am.

A private individual found the body of a woman on the coast of Platja de Migjorn. According to the Guardia Civil, the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition.

Several hours later, at approximately 3:00pm, a Guardia Civil patrol located another body at sea around eight miles south of Formentera.

The second victim was a young person believed to be a minor. The body was also in an advanced state of decomposition and the teenager was wearing a life jacket.

The third discovery came on Sunday evening, September 6.

At around 7:30pm, a person aboard a boat spotted the body of a young man in the waters near Cala Saona. The Guardia Civil's Special Underwater Activities Group, known as GEAS, subsequently recovered the body.

Possible connection to migrant crossings

The three discoveries have prompted an investigation by the Judicial Police of Ibiza.

According to the initial indications cited by the Guardia Civil, the victims could be migrants who were travelling aboard a small boat from Algeria towards the Balearic Islands and died during the journey.

The life jacket found on the minor is one of the indications supporting that hypothesis, although it does not by itself establish how the person died or whether the victim was travelling on a migrant boat.

The same caution applies to the other two bodies. Their identities have not been established, and investigators still need to determine whether the deaths are connected.

Forensic examinations will be crucial

The condition of the bodies is expected to make identification more difficult.

Investigators are working to establish the identities of the victims and determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Forensic examinations and autopsies will form an important part of that process.

The investigation will also need to determine whether the three deaths are connected to the same maritime crossing or occurred independently.

At this stage, authorities have not publicly confirmed the nationality of the victims or identified a specific boat associated with the deaths.

The latest body was recovered near Cala Saona

The third victim was discovered after a private boater spotted a body in the water near Cala Saona on Sunday evening.

The GEAS unit was responsible for recovering the body from the sea.

The location is notable because Cala Saona is one of Formentera's most visited coastal areas, meaning the discovery took place close to one of the island's best-known beaches and tourist zones.

The body was subsequently placed under the jurisdiction of the authorities investigating the circumstances of the death.

The minor was found eight miles offshore

The second discovery was made further from the island.

A Guardia Civil patrol located the body approximately eight nautical miles south of Formentera.

The young victim was wearing a life jacket, and the body had suffered significant deterioration.

The distance from the island and the use of a life jacket are among the factors investigators will consider when attempting to establish how the person reached the area.

The Guardia Civil has not publicly confirmed the victim's identity.

The first body was found on the coast of Migjorn

The first discovery of the weekend happened on land rather than offshore.

A member of the public came across the body of a woman at Platja de Migjorn at approximately 8:00am on Saturday.

The body was reportedly in an advanced state of decomposition, making immediate identification difficult.

The discovery occurred just hours before the second body was located south of the island, followed the next evening by the third near Cala Saona.

Comes amid continued migrant arrivals

The discoveries took place during a weekend when migrant boat activity towards the Balearic Islands remained significant.

According to figures reported separately from the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands, 138 migrants arrived in the archipelago aboard eight boats over Saturday and Sunday.

Formentera and the waters around the island are located along a maritime route used by boats travelling from North Africa towards the Balearic Islands.

The combination of ongoing arrivals and the discovery of bodies has increased concern over the risks faced by people attempting the crossing in small vessels.

A dangerous route across the Mediterranean

The crossing between Algeria and the Balearic Islands can involve a considerable distance at sea, depending on the departure point and destination.

People travelling aboard small, often overcrowded boats can face changing weather, rough seas, limited supplies and mechanical problems.

When vessels encounter difficulties, passengers can fall into the water or become separated from their boats, making rescue and recovery particularly difficult.

For authorities, establishing what happened to people whose bodies are later recovered can be complicated, particularly when there are no identity documents and the remains have been in the sea for an extended period.

Investigation remains open

The Judicial Police of Ibiza is now responsible for investigating the three cases and working on the identification of the victims.

The available information does not establish that the three people travelled together or died in the same incident.

It also does not confirm that all three victims were migrants.

The description of the deaths as potentially migration-related comes from the initial investigative hypothesis based on the circumstances in which the bodies were discovered.

That distinction is important while forensic and investigative work remains ongoing.

Formentera has seen repeated maritime tragedies

The latest discoveries come after other bodies believed to be connected to migrant crossings have been recovered around Formentera during 2026.

The island has become an important point in the maritime migration route to the Balearics, and the repeated recovery of bodies has highlighted the risks associated with the journey.

Local waters can become the final known location for people who disappear during crossings, leaving authorities and families facing the additional challenge of identification.

The latest weekend has been particularly striking because three bodies were found within a period of roughly 36 hours.

Three families may be waiting for answers

Behind the investigation are three individual deaths and three identities that authorities are still working to establish.

For the families of missing migrants, the lack of identification can make an already devastating situation even more difficult.

The forensic investigation could eventually establish who the victims were, where they came from and, potentially, provide information about how they died.

Until those procedures are completed, the circumstances surrounding the three deaths remain uncertain.

What happens next?

The immediate priority for investigators is to identify the three victims and determine their causes of death.

The authorities will also examine whether there is any connection between the three discoveries and recent migrant boat crossings.

Any evidence recovered during the investigations could help establish whether the victims were passengers on the same vessel or on separate boats.

For now, the cases remain under investigation, with the Guardia Civil maintaining the working hypothesis that the victims may have been migrants who died while attempting the sea crossing from Algeria to the Balearic Islands.

Key Facts

• Location: Formentera and surrounding waters

• Period: September 5-6, 2026

• Number of bodies found: 3

• First victim: Adult woman found at Platja de Migjorn

• Second victim: Young person believed to be a minor, found about 8 miles south of Formentera

• Third victim: Young man spotted near Cala Saona

• Life jacket: Reported on the body of the minor

• Recovery team for third body: Guardia Civil GEAS

• Investigation: Judicial Police of Ibiza

• Initial hypothesis: The victims may have been migrants who died during a boat crossing from Algeria

• Identities: Not yet publicly confirmed

• Cause of death: Still under investigation

• Separate weekend migration arrivals: 138 people aboard eight boats in the Balearic Islands, according to Government Delegation figures