Large wave surges left three people dead, including one visiting cruise ship guest on Tenerife, the Canary Islands, with more than a dozen injured.
People were swept into the sea at various coastal locations with the most serious incident on the quay at Puerto de la Cruz.
Cruise Guest Died After Being Swept to Sea
Here, 10 people were swept into the sea after a sudden wave surge. A 79-year-old woman from the Netherlands died while three others suffered serious injuries after being thrown onto rocks. Six more reported minor to moderate injuries.
The woman is thought to have arrived in Tenerife by cruise ship just hours earlier. It was reported the actual cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Elsewhere, a man’s body was recovered at Granadilla de Abona beach and a third death was confirmed near Santa Cruz. Authorities said waves of more than four meters battered the coastline.
Overall, 15 people were taken to hospital with injuries after being washed out to sea. Authorities issued advisories on Friday warning of strong winds and the risk of high waves.
They said some of the injuries were likely a result of ignoring warnings, such as at Roque de Las Bodegas beach, in Taganana.
A group of six French tourists fell into the water here after being hit by large waves. Local police said a warning buoy had been installed. Local authorities again urged locals and visitors to heed all warnings and exercise extreme caution when close to the coastline.
“Locals know how the sea can change. It’s for tourists. They go over there to take a photo and then the swell comes. They know nothing about tidal surges. But we are used to them,” a local resident told the media.
Tenerife is a popular cruise destination on Canary Island hopping itineraries from the UK and Europe, as well as a regular stop on Europe-US transatlantic repositioning cruises.
Earlier this year, two cruise passengers from Vietnam were swept to sea while taking a selfie on a beach in Greece.
