Fernando Garfella Palmer

Fernando Garfella Palmer (9 August 1989 – 9 August 2020) was a Spanish documentary filmmaker, known for his documentaries about the marine life of the Balearic Islands and for his collaboration with the NGO Proactiva Open Arms.

Biography Garfella was born in Mallorca, Spain. He was the grandson of the painter Fernando Garfella and elder brother of the journalist Carlos Garfella. and the long-snouted seahorse, among others.

As a documentarian and rescue worker, Garfella was associated with the NGO Proactiva Open Arms, constantly participating in the rescues of migrants from North Africa to the Spanish coasts.

Disappearance and death While making one of his regular dives near Dragonera on 9 August 2020, Garfella was swept away by a strong current at a depth of over . His girlfriend, seeing that he did not surface, alerted a fellow diver, who tried unsuccessfully to rescue Garfella but suffered decompression sickness and had to be rushed by ambulance to the Juaneda Clinic in Palma de Mallorca. The Underwater Activities Special Group (Grupo Especial de Actividades Subacuáticas) of the Civil Guard initiated an exhaustive search for Garfella's body. On 11 August 2020, Garfella's body was recovered by GEAS at a depth of . The body was transported to the Port of Sóller.