Three Dead, Fifteen Injured as Giant Waves Batter Tenerife’s Coastline
Authorities urge tourists and residents to avoid coastal areas as massive waves and dangerous tides continue
- Three people have died and 15 others injured after huge waves struck Tenerife’s coastline.
- Rescue teams warn sea swells could reach up to four metres, urging the public to stay away from beaches.
- Witnesses describe chaotic rescue scenes as bystanders were swept into the ocean by powerful tides.
Three people have died and at least 15 others have been injured after powerful tidal surges struck the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife over the weekend.
According to emergency services, a woman died after being swept into the ocean near the popular Puerto de la Cruz resort, while a man lost his life in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. A third man’s body was later recovered from the sea near a beach in Granadilla.
Authorities have urged residents and tourists to stay away from coastal paths and to refrain from taking photos or videos of the dangerous waves as turbulent weather continues to lash the Canary Islands.
Rescue teams said they airlifted one man who fell into the water at La Guancha in northern Tenerife, but he was pronounced dead at hospital. Another man died after being pulled from the water near El Cabezo beach in the south, despite lifeguards’ efforts to resuscitate him.
At Puerto de la Cruz, a woman suffered a fatal heart attack after being swept into the sea. Ten others were pulled from the water, three of them in serious condition and taken to hospital.
Local waiter Pedro told Reuters he dove into the waves to rescue those struggling in the surf.
“As soon as I saw a man waving at me, I took off my clothes and jumped in. I managed to grab three people and save them. I couldn’t save the woman—she passed away right there,” he said.
Another eyewitness, Carlos, said he had warned onlookers taking photos to move back from the shoreline, but “they did not pay attention.”
Officials have placed the Canary Islands on high alert for coastal hazards, warning that sea conditions are expected to worsen, with swells reaching up to four metres. Residents and tourists have been advised to exercise extreme caution until the storm subsides.
