A wave that crashed into Tenerife (Canary Islands) at the weekend has now killed four people, after sweeping away bathers on the Spanish tourist hotspot, according to local authorities.
Three people died on Sunday after being struck by the powerful wave at a natural pool in the Los Gigantes area, on Tenerife’s south coast, according to sources from the 112 Emergency Coordination Centre.
According to reports, they were caught off guard by heavy seas shortly before 4.07 pm on Sunday. At the time, the emergency services reported that several people had been swept into the water by the wave.
The deceased are a 35-year-old man, a 55-year-old woman, and another man whose age has not yet been confirmed.
In addition, another woman was pulled from the water in cardiac arrest and airlifted by a Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) medical helicopter to Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria Hospital.
The woman later died in hospital on Monday, the emergency services said.
Another woman, aged 39, sustained moderate traumatic injuries on Sunday and was taken by an SUC ambulance to Hospiten Sur hospital, while another woman was treated at the scene.
A fifth person is still missing.
Speaking on TVE’s Canal 24 Horas on Monday, the mayor of Santiago del Teide, Emilio Navarro, confirmed that the natural pools had been closed off since 3December due to coastal conditions.
‘We make a huge effort to control access and prevent incidents like yesterday’s, but it’s difficult to monitor the entire coastline and have police on every corner,’ Navarro said. He added that the deaths would have been avoided ‘simply by respecting the signage and the barriers that are put in place’.
In addition to being closed for swimming, signs at the entrance to the natural pool clearly warn of the danger in Spanish, English, and German — ‘Important information for your safety: dangerous area during heavy swell’ — along with three photographs illustrating how a single wave can overwhelm the entire pool. Despite this, around 20 people of various nationalities — including Spaniards — were at the site on Sunday afternoon. All were tourists.
Tenerife had already experienced another tragic day on 8 November, when three people drowned in separate incidents caused by strong waves, and 15 others were injured. The most serious occurred at the Puerto de la Cruz pier, where a large wave swept 10 people into the sea, killing one of them. ALSO READ: Three dead, 15 injured, after falling into rough seas on island of Tenerife.
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Son ya cuatro los fallecidos en un golpe de mar ayer en una piscina natural en el sur de Tenerife.
Informa Andrea Sierra
▶https://t.co/w5yKelrTzC pic.twitter.com/UzQqHuWgTw
— Telediarios de TVE (@telediario_tve) December 8, 2025
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