Benidorm ambulance drivers fail drug test after 'losing' British patient

Benidorm ambulance drivers fail drug test after 'losing' British patient
By Pascale Davies
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An ambulance in Benidorm lost a British tourist who was injured in a fight. Just how the patient strayed off could be down to the medic and driver testing positive for cocaine and cannabis.

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An ambulance driver and medic were detained in Spain for "losing" a patient on the way to a hospital. The police later found him lying unconscious in a ditch and surrounded by blood.

The incident happened last Monday when emergency services were called to treat a 30-year-old British man, who suffered knife injuries during a fight with three others in Benidorm, a popular tourist retreat.

When police arrived at the fight, they arrested three alleged assailants and called an ambulance for the injured tourist.

The police later called the hospital to check on the patient but were told that no one with the characteristics they described was admitted to Accident and Emergencies. Police then found the ambulance driver and medic.

Both said that the wounded man regained consciousness halfway through the journey and became aggressive, before walking out of the ambulance.

The National Police confirmed to Euronews that they later called for another ambulance to pick up the wounded man but it was the very same ambulance and medics that showed up.

Faced with the abnormal behaviour of the driver and medic, the police officers requested they take a drugs test, which returned positive for cocaine and marijuana.

The following day the medics were detained for an alleged crime of omission of aid, as they had left the victim alone and unconscious without communicating their whereabouts.

The British citizen recovered quickly in hospital, but could not explain what happened as he was drunk when the events took place.

Police are investigating on whether the man left the ambulance of his own accord, or if he fell out.

The incident was first reported in the local media but confirmed to Euronews by the Civil Guard. A spokesman for the local police declined to comment on the grounds that the story was gaining too much media attention.

According to the Spanish newspaper Información, Alicante's Ministry of Health has asked the company that manages Benidorm's ambulances for a report on the health of all its employees.

Last month, it was reported that a woman fell out of an ambulance used by the same company.

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