The corpse was discovered dressed in a wetsuit and was in an advanced state of decomposition in the popular Spanish resort of Fuengirola on Wednesday night
A headless body that turned into ‘waxy soap’ as it decomposed has been found washed up on a Costa del Sol beach by horrified locals.
The corpse was discovered dressed in a wetsuit and was in an advanced state of decomposition in the popular Spanish resort of Fuengirola on Wednesday night. Sources close to the investigation told local publication Sur that police believe the body was in the water for some time.
Photos shared on Instagram page Fuengirolasequeja show the body being removed by emergency services. Locals called the 112 emergency hotline at 8.41pm to report seeing a body without a head at the height of the Paseo Maritimo Rey de España. Sources said the corpse has undergone the rare process of saponification, a rare process in which the body is effectively turned into soap.
When a dead body is submerged in water, its fatty acids are broken down and a substance known as adipocere is formed. Adipocere covers the body. Adipocere it is an organic material, with the consistency of semi-hard cheese and a soapy, waxy texture.
The Spanish National Police force has taken over the investigation and the force is not ruling out any theories on the cause of death. The body has been taken for autopsy and is yet to be identified.
It comes after a British holidaymaker was found dead at his hotel in Fuengirola last month after staff noticed he had failed to check out of his room. Police arrived on the scene shortly after the alarm was raised at around 9.30am local time on February 21, where the Brit was sadly pronounced dead.
The man, aged in his 60s, had been due to check out of the room at the unnamed hotel the day before. Officers are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. Emergency responders including medical staff were sent to the scene but all they could do was confirm his death.
A post-mortem is due to take place in the coming hours and will determine how the police investigation proceeds. The results of the autopsy will be sent to a judge placed in charge of the probe. Well-placed sources said no signs of violence were found in the room or on the dead man’s body signalling a crime had taken place, and the tourist is thought to have been staying in the room alone.
