A giant wave submerged the shocked tourists on the Tenerife beach as authorities in the Canary Islands again warn of the danger of ignoring the red flag warnings
Sunbathing holidaymakers were forced to run for safety when a giant wave suddenly wiped out their beach.
Tourists on the Tenerife coast were forced to flee the sand after a huge surge of water came, knocking people off their feet as onlookers screamed when the wave hit. A video taken at the popular hotspot captured the moment the water smashed against the rocks and sent tourists running as they tried to avoid being dragged into the ocean.
Authorities repeatedly warn people of the dangers of swimming in rough sea conditions. They released the video following a spike in drownings in the Canary Islands, with 48 people losing their lives between January and September this year.
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Coastal safety platform Canarias, 1500 KM de Costa say many accidents still stem from ignoring the red flag warnings. They uploaded the scary footage on Facebook, taken at Natural pools of Jover in La Laguna. They captioned the clip, taken last week: “Prevention, please.”
Earlier this year a British holidaymaker died after being swept into the sea by a wave at on the island. The 60-year-old was one of three people who got into difficulties in the drama at Los Gigantes natural swimming pool in the west of the island. He was found lying face-down in the sea before a rescue helicopter, along with police, firefighters and emergency medical responders raced to the landmark.
The man was flown to a nearby football ground where rescue teams discovered he had gone into cardiac arrest. Efforts to revive him proved unsuccessful, authorities said. The other two people swept into the sea, both women, managed to reach safety themselves. One was taken to a health centre with minor injuries and the other treated for a panic attack.
The Canary Islands Government has launched a major public awareness campaign following a concerning rise in deaths from drowning. Local officials have been urging people in the Canary Islands to take care near the sea this week because of the strong swell and heavy waves.
Manuel Miranda, Regional Minister for Territorial Policy, said: “Last year, our coasts and swimming pools claimed more lives than our roads. We must restore respect for the sea. This campaign is vital to tackle the high number of fatal aquatic accidents we continue to see every year in the Canary Islands.”
In May, a four-year-old British boy died in a hotel pool at a resort in Tenerife. The tragedy happened in the town of San Miguel de Abona, located in the southern part of the popular holiday island.
After receiving an emergency call before 5pm indicating a child was undergoing cardiac arrest, emergency services promptly arrived on José Miguel Galván Bello Avenue.
Despite being rescued from the water by a lifeguard, the boy remained unresponsive, reported Spanish broadcaster Telecinco. A UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British child who has died in Spain, and are in touch with the local authorities.”