A 26-year-old holidaymaker died after leaping off a cliff into the sea and hitting his head on rocks.

The incident took place on the beach of Cala Varques, which is known for its clear waters and rock formations, near the Calas de Mallorca resort in north-eastern Majorca, in Spain, on Saturday, 25th March.

The young man, reportedly a Californian tourist on holiday with his partner, neither of whom has been named, reportedly misjudged the 12-metre (40-foot) jump and hit his head on the rocks.

People on a sailing boat nearby witnessed the tragic incident and retrieved the man’s body from the water before taking it to shore where the emergency services were waiting, according to local media.

The emergency services were called and two ambulances arrived on the scene.

The young man, deemed to be in a serious condition, was reportedly still breathing when the ambulances arrived. The police also went to the scene.

But his injuries were too serious and he was declared dead at the scene.

The man’s body was transferred to a coroner in a Maritime Rescue boat to Porto Cristo before being taken to the Forensic Anatomical Institute.

Local media reported that the area is known for its accident, with a significant number of them occurring every year.

A number of locals and tourists regularly jump off the cliff into the water, with local media saying that it is a very dangerous jump and it is quite common for people to misjudge how far they have to jump, hitting the rocks instead.