In the southeast of the island of Tenerife, a tragic accident occurred on Sunday afternoon, in which three people were killed and several others were injured. A group of people swimming in a natural pool in the Los Gigantes area were swept away by strong waves.
According to rescue services, tourists are among the victims – Italian and Slovak citizens have been confirmed, writes the website. A 35-year-old man, a 55-year-old woman and another man, whose age has not yet been released, died. The bodies of the victims were taken to the port of Los Gigantes.
One of the injured persons suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest. Rescuers managed to resuscitate her and she was airlifted to Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria University Hospital in critical condition.
Another 39-year-old woman suffered moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to the Hospital Hospiten Sur in Playa de las Américas. The paramedics provided assistance to another woman on the spot. At the same time, the authorities are investigating the possibility that one person is still missing.
A large rescue team was dispatched to the scene of the accident – three helicopters intervened and several ambulances, local police, Guardia Civil and a doctor from a nearby medical center were also involved in the action. The tragedy occurred despite the fact that a few days ago the government announced a preliminary warning against adverse coastal phenomena and urged residents and tourists not to approach the coast.
The warning was also in effect during Sunday afternoon, especially for the north and west coast of the island. The accident occurred shortly after 4:00 p.m. in the area known as the natural pool of Isla Cangrejo (Crab Island). Access to this location has been taped off and fenced off for several days. Despite this, the police and Guardia Civil had to intervene repeatedly, because people removed the barriers in order to swim, sunbathe or take pictures.
