Three people died and fifteen were injured last Saturday in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, after being swept away by giant waves that reached four meters in height. The region was under alert due to dangerous coastal phenomena, but many swimmers and tourists ignored the warnings.
The first incident occurred at around 11:30 am, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, when six French tourists were washed away at sea after disregarding preventive signs. All received medical assistance and five were hospitalized with moderate and minor injuries.
In Puerto de la Cruz, ten people were also swept away by the waves and rescued by police and civilians. Despite the efforts of emergency teams, one of the victims did not survive after being removed from the sea in cardiorespiratory arrest. Three others were seriously injured.
On El Cabezo beach, in the south of the island, the body of a man was found floating, and in Charco del Viento, in the north, another man died after being rescued by a helicopter.
Authorities have reinforced warnings and asked the population and tourists to avoid coastal areas, highlighting the extreme danger of sea conditions over the next few days.
