Investigated Costas official inspects El Bocal

A seaside footbridge in Santander has turned into a very ugly test of who was supposed to keep people safe. On Wednesday, April 30, the court’s on-site inspection of the collapsed El Bocal walkway brought everyone back to the structure itself — including Enrique Rodríguez Sánchez, the current head of Projects and Works at Costas in Cantabria, who is already under criminal investigation in the case. That is the part making people wince. The official whose maintenance decisions are under scrutiny was present, with his own engineer and lawyer, while the judge’s expert examined what was left. (elpais.com) ### What is El Bocal, exactly? El Bocal is part of the coastal path near Santander’s Cabo Mayor and La Maruca area — a scenic route, but also exposed to salt, wind, and constant wear. On March 3, 2026, one of its footbridges gave way. Six young people died and a seventh was seriously injured. That disaster turned a local walkway into a criminal investigation focused on maintenance, warnings, and official responsibility. (poderjudicial.es) ### Why was Wednesday’s visit such a big deal? Because this was not a routine technical check. The judge had specifically ordered an in-person expert inspection to answer a blunt question — were there visible signs of deterioration, when was the last maintenance likely done, and was that maintenance sufficient or negligent? The site visit on April 30 was part of building that answer from the structure itself, not from paperwork alone. (poderjudicial.es) ### Why is Enrique Rodríguez at the center of it? Rodríguez is the current chief of the Service for Projects and Works in the Demarcación de Costas de Cantabria. The court already counts him among the investiga(poderjudicial.es)bridge’s structural safety and the ability to act if inspections or repairs were needed. (elpais.com) ### What does the judge think may have gone wrong? The case is moving around omission, not one dramatic single mistake. The judge has pointed to a possible absence of adequate inspections and maintenance over time. She also asked for records of citizen complaints, 112 emergency-handli(elpais.com)ltiple institutions failed to move. (poderjudicial.es) ### What has the expert already found? The court expert’s report, made public in mid-April, says the collapse started with failure in structural fittings affected by corrosion. It also says inspection was negli(poderjudicial.es) defect. (naiz.eus) ### Why does the official’s presence bother critics? Because it looks backwards. In a case about whether Costas failed to inspect and maintain the bridge, the current Costas works chief shows up at the judicial inspection flanked by his own technical and legal support. That may be procedurally norm(naiz.eus)ying the scene. (elpais.com) ### What happens next? The criminal case is still expanding. Three Costas officials are already under investigation for possible negligent homicide counts tied to the six deaths, and the engineer who signed the 2014 project is now also set to testify as an investigated person on June (elpais.com)nce. (elpais.com) ### Bottom line The inspection matters because it narrows the argument. If the bridge showed obvious corrosion and went years without proper upkeep, this stops looking like a freak collapse and starts looking like a preventable one. (poderjudicial.es)o-examine-la-pasarela))