Canary Islands horror as tourist plunges off TUI cruise ship | World | News

A tourist has reportedly fallen off a cruise ship operated by TUI in the north of the Canary Islands. It is said that the Spanish coast guard and police took action after the adults-only Marella Explorer 2 raised the ‘Man Overboard’ alarm.

News website Voz Populi reported that the alarm went off yesterday morning as it set sail from Madeira for the Canaries, and said the ship’s captain slowed the ship almost to a halt before activating ‘protocol procedures’, which included examining cameras, launching marker buoys and performing circular search manoeuvres. Tenerife newspaper El Dia said the incident occurred when the cruise ship was about 16 nautical miles from Punta de Teno, at the northwesternmost point of the island.

The Spanish coast guard, which has not yet made an official comment, is said to have mobilized two specialist rescue ships, including the Tenerife-based Salvamar Menkalinan, as part of the maritime search supported by the air with an emergency helicopter.

Local news stated that a German-flagged yacht also responded to the SOS call.

Speaking late yesterday, Voz Populi stated that the missing person was a tourist and said: “There is currently no record of the passenger’s location being determined.

“The operation remains open and authorities have yet to disclose the identity, nationality or circumstances of the crash, as is customary in initial investigations into incidents on cruise ships.”

The ship’s current location appears to be Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, and it arrived here at around 2.30am this morning.