'Black magic' mystery death on Costa beach: Man collapses and dies after decapitating half a dozen hens during 'satanic ritual'

A man has been found dead on a Spanish beach after performing a suspected 'black magic' ritual in which he sacrificed animals before he collapsed. 

The 65-year-old was found behind an area of rocks at La Fosca beach north of the Costa Brava resort of Palamos near Girona after decapitating around half a dozen hens.

His wife alerted the emergency services just after 5am yesterday, saying she had found him unconscious surrounded by the headless carcasses of the birds.

Paramedics and police raced to the scene but were unable to revive him.

The 65-year-old was found behind an area of rocks at La Fosca beach (pictured) north of the Costa Brava resort of Palamos near Girona after decapitating around half a dozen hens

The dead man is said to have fallen ill after rowing with his partner and two children as he began to prepare the satanic ritual before heading off to the nearby spot where he was found after completing the animal sacrifice.

When police and paramedics arrived on the scene they found the man surrounded by chicken heads, and his grieving wife and children.   

Police are still awaiting the results of the autopsy but are not treating the incident as a crime at this stage - the man's body showed no signs of trauma, according to police sources cited by Spanish outlet Cronica Global.

They also confirmed that neither the man's wife nor the daughters will be charged with animal abuse or public health issues, since 'they have not participated actively' in the actions the deceased had carried out.

Local reports are pointing to the man's death being linked to a reaction to drugs he could have taken as part of the black magic ceremony.

The man was found lying on the beach in Costa Brava surrounded by decapitated animals

La Fosca beach is a wide sandy area divided into two halves by a large black rock.

It forms part of a residential and tourist zone located in a bay to the north of Palamos.

A pleasant promenade runs along the length of the beach with beautiful summer houses on the seafront from the first half of the last century.

It was not immediately clear this morning if the dead man lived locally or was on holiday in the area.

The part of the beach where the hens had been sacrificed is understood to have been cleaned up before the first tourists arrived.