Tourist Dies After Swallowing Car Key, Receives No Help Because No One Could Understand Him

KEY POINTS

A Dutch tourist, 37, died in Barcelona, Spain, after he swallowed a car key
He asked for help at a local supermarket but reportedly received none as no one could understand him
It was unclear how the key got stuck in his throat, and the cause of his death has yet to be determined

A tourist in the Spanish city of Barcelona died last week after he swallowed his car key, law enforcement sources said.

The Mossos d'Esquadra — the Catalonia region's police force — are investigating the death of the 37-year-old Dutch man on Aug. 5, Spanish news agency the Europa Press reported, citing police sources.

The tourist, whose identity was not released, entered a supermarket located along Riera de Cassoles avenue in Barcelona's Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district at around 10:15 p.m. last Thursday "in an evident state of excitement and [caused] altercations" in the establishment, police sources were told.

The man pleaded for help inside the supermarket, but no one could understand what he was saying, according to a report by the New York Post.

It was unclear if people could not understand the man because he was speaking another language or if he could not communicate properly due to the key stuck in his throat, the outlet said.

Members of the city's Guàrdia Urbana, or Urban Guard, attempted to restrain the man after being alerted of the incident by the supermarket's employees, but he lost consciousness soon after, the Europa Press report said.

Police allegedly began to perform resuscitation maneuvers on the collapsed man before emergency medical personnel arrived and were able to eject the key from the Dutch tourist’s throat.

The health workers were able to stabilize the man and transferred him to the Santa Creu i Sant Pau hospital in El Guinardó, where he died the next day.

It was unclear how the key got stuck in the man's throat and what caused his death.

An autopsy of the victim's body will clarify the cause of his death, a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo said.

The victim was visiting the city with his family and staying in an apartment near the supermarket, according to the outlet.

The Barcelona City Council has offered support to the man's family. Additionally, the city government also contacted the Dutch consulate over the incident to offer aid.

The Urban Guard has opened internal confidential information in an effort to collaborate with the Mossos d'Esquadra's investigation, as per the Europa Press.