The mystery of the submerged private hire vehicle in Marbella lake unravelled

Police searched the area for several hours and firefighters made several dives into the Lago de las Tortugas in case the driver had drowned

Juan Cano

Malaga

Wednesday, 2 April 2025, 14:16

A casual morning stroll in the Nueva Andalucía area of Marbella led to the discovery of a submerged Mercedes minibus van in the Las Tortugas lake, which is a popular meeting point for hikers or families who want to spend time in the countryside surrounded by vegetation and mountain views.

A local reported seeing the roof of the van through the clear water during his walk. Several police teams and the fire brigade were quickly mobilised to the scene, which was veiled in mystery. Firefighters dived into the lake to see what they could find. The vehicle was located at a depth of 3.5metres and, luckily, no one was found inside.

The Local Police and the firefighters pulled the van out of the water with the help of a crane. They reached out to the VTC company to which the van belongs. According to the service, the Mercedes had last been working the previous night - Sunday - but the driver was unreachable.

Questions raised about how the vehicle got there and where the driver was prompted the National Police to start an investigation as the fire brigade teams dived once again into the lake in a last-gasp search for the driver. However, the man was subsequently found safe and sound at another location some 24 hours after the search was initiated.

According to the National Police force's provincial headquarters, the driver confirmed that the reason for the vehicle ending up in the lake was accidental and he will not face any charges.

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