Three individuals lost their lives, and three others sustained injuries after being swept into the ocean in a tragic incident in Tenerife. The casualties, including two men aged 35 and a woman aged 55, perished at a natural pools complex on the Los Gigantes cliffs in the island’s northwest, as confirmed by local authorities. A 39-year-old woman was also hospitalized with “moderate” injuries, while another woman experienced cardiac arrest but was revived and airlifted to a medical facility. The emergency unfolded after 4 pm.
According to emergency responders, the victims were caught off guard by a wave that swept them into the water. Although two more individuals faced difficulties, they managed to reach safety without assistance.
Reports suggest that among the affected individuals, there are several “foreign tourists,” all of whom were vacationers. While unofficial sources mention the nationalities of the deceased as Italian and Slovenian, official confirmation is pending. It remains uncertain if any British or Irish nationals were among the victims. Notably, on November 8, a similar incident in Tenerife claimed three lives and left 15 others injured when they were dragged into the sea by strong waves.
Most of the victims were tourists, with one tragic event occurring in Puerto de la Cruz involving a 79-year-old Dutch holidaymaker who lost her life after being swept off a sea wall, and nine others requiring medical attention. In another incident on the same day, six French tourists were swept into the ocean in Roque de las Bodegas but survived.
On November 27, a search operation was initiated for a British pensioner who fell overboard from a TUI-operated cruise ship near the Canary Islands. Despite intensive searching for two days, the 76-year-old was not found. Following previous incidents in Tenerife, where tourists faced perilous sea conditions, a local safety organization emphasized the importance of better warnings at hotels to educate visitors about ocean hazards.
Sebastian Quintana, president of Canarias 1500 Km de costa, underlined the need for improved signage and temporary barriers to enhance tourist safety. He stressed the significance of hotels issuing warnings to guests in multiple languages during adverse weather conditions to prevent accidents and save lives. Quintana urged visitors to exercise caution and respect for the coastline, attributing accidents to human recklessness rather than natural hazards.