Horror moment Tenerife tourist killed in terrifying beach incident | World | News
This is the moment of horror when a Dutch tourist died and nine others were injured after being swept out to sea by a huge wave in Tenerife. Shocking images showed them standing on the sea wall in the northern port city of Puerto de la Cruz.
“Look, look, look, now, now,” a woman could be heard shouting in Spanish as the wave approached, knocking four people standing at the top of the protective wall and a larger group below them into the water. Some were on the stairs between the two when the wave crashed over them. “I hope they all made it through,” said one social media user, before it was confirmed that three people were seriously injured and the 79-year-old Dutch passenger died.
While the tragedy occurred at around 3pm on Saturday, November 8, there was also a weather alert warning people to stay away from the sea due to the size and strength of the waves.
On the same day, two more people were killed in Tenerife after experiencing difficulties in the water; Authorities confirmed that one of those people was a fisherman who was swept out into the ocean by a large wave at the natural pool complex called Charco del Viento, a short drive west of Puerto de la Cruz.
Pedro Lopez, a waiter who worked near the scene of the tragedy where the unnamed Dutch pensioner was killed and risked his life by diving into the water to save some of the injured, said: “Normally when a preliminary alarm is given, there is always a closed barrier preventing access to the area where it occurred.
“I don’t know what happened, but the barrier was left open.”
“The barrier was open and it happened. I saw eight people at the top of the wall and the first wave did not reach them. The second wave threw them to the ground and dragged them away,” he told a radio station in the Canary Islands.
“I started running and saw three people screaming for help, I took off my clothes and jumped into the water. It was frustrating but I’m okay and I was able to save them.
“What people want on holiday is fun, and seeing waves up to 15 meters is fun, but it can also be very deadly.
“There had to be a barrier to prevent them from being where they were.”
The incident in Charco del Viento, in which a 43-year-old man lost his life, occurred just before 16.45 on Saturday. Local reports indicate he was a local living in nearby La Orotava who was swept out to sea while fishing. A helicopter was mobilized to rescue him and he was taken to the docks in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, but he was confirmed dead due to the severity of his injuries.
The age and nationality of the third person killed have not yet been disclosed. He was said to have suffered a heart attack when he was pulled from the sea at El Cabezo beach in Granadilla, south-west of Tenerife, at around 2pm on Saturday.
Six French tourists were injured when they were swept into the sea while watching the waves at Roque de las Bodegas, on the northeastern tip of Tenerife, on Saturday.
