A MUM has shared how her holiday turned into a nightmare when she stumbled upon a rotting corpse on the beach.
Emma Elliott was left horrified when she discovered the grim find during her morning run at the Arenal d’en Castell beach in Menorca.
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The mum was only five minutes into her jog when she spotted what she thought was a giant jellyfish stranded on the beach.
But she was left in shock as she went closer realising it was in fact a corpse.
The mum from Hexham, Northumberland, said: “I had jogged halfway along the marina [about five minutes] and thought I would turn back because the sea was a bit choppy, but I decided to continue as it looked safe to do so.
“Four steps later, I looked to my right and there was a dead body lying on the beach.
“I had to look about three times before I realised it was a body. I thought it was a jellyfish at first because he was so translucent.
“[You could see] where he had been struggling to catch his breath underwater. I could see all his face and his body.
Spanish police have launched an investigation to identify the man whose body was found early in the morning on May 17.
Emma had jetted off for a relaxing week-long family holiday to Menorca with her partner Lee Brogden, her son Bobby-lee Brogden, 7 and her nephew Lee.
After a few days in the sun, she decided to go for a run on the beach, which is when she came across the remains.
The mum said after racing back to her hotel room in tears, she and Lee, along with a manager went to the beach and then reported the discovery to the police.
“It all seemed to happen in slow motion, ” she added.
“I was so panicked and kept repeating ‘dead body, dead body’.
“I was crying from the shock at first and I couldn’t catch my breath when I first found him.”
The couple, along with a hotel staff member, went to the beach and stuck a pole in the sand to stop the body drifting out to sea before Lee called the cops.
The horrifying sighting has left Emma with panic attacks and nightmares and refuses to go to a beach on her own again.
She says she cannot get the image of the dead body out of her head and is struggling to sleep and eat.
Emma said her gruesome discovery left her “traumatised” and ruined the rest of her £1,650 family holiday.
She continued: “After finding the body on holiday, I was down all the time and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“I was having really bad panic attacks and I seem to be having more and more.
“Maybe this is because the shock of what happened has worn off.
“I’m still having panic attacks now and the doctors have had to prescribe me sleeping pills.
“I keep having nightmares and I’m waking up in the middle of the night.
“I’m just a bit traumatised by what went on.”
The family returned to the beach on their last day to lay down some flowers and pay their respects.
Still waiting on the police force’s findings, Emma said she hopes they’re able to establish the man‘s identity so she can put her mind “at ease”.
The Guardia Civil has been contacted for comment.
