The popular holiday island of Tenerife has been placed under a red alert following a series of tragic incidents where massive 15-foot waves battered its coastline, resulting in three fatalities and multiple injuries.
Emergency services confirmed the deaths occurred in separate incidents on Saturday, a day described by officials as "the most tragic day" for the island in the past decade.
Details of the Tragic Incidents
In the north of the island, a rescue helicopter airlifted a 43-year-old Spanish man from the water at a beach in La Guancha. The fisherman had "fallen from a considerable height" according to local reports. Despite being rushed to hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Tragedy struck again at El Cabezo beach in the south, where a man was discovered floating in the water. Meanwhile, in the northern city of Puerto de la Cruz, a 79-year-old Dutch woman suffered a fatal heart attack after a giant wave swept ten people into the sea.
Warnings and Official Response
The Canary Islands had been on a pre-alert for coastal phenomena since Friday, with authorities warning of exceptionally large waves reaching up to four metres high and fierce winds.
Sebastián Quintana, president of "Canarias, 1,500 km of coastline," emphasised the severity of the situation, confirming Saturday's tragic toll. Authorities had repeatedly warned people about the dangerous tidal surge and strong winds, advising against walking along coastal paths and risking safety to photograph the rough seas.
Despite these warnings, several incidents occurred due to non-compliance with safety barriers and official advice, highlighting the extreme danger posed by the current marine conditions.
