4 dead and 1 missing after wave sweeps swimmers out to sea at popular tourist spot in Spain

Four people, two men and two women, died and another is missing after a powerful wave swept a group of swimmers out to sea while they were swimming in a popular seawater pool along the coast of the Spanish island of Tenerife, officials said Monday.

Emergency crews recovered three bodies on Sunday – a 35-year-old woman, a 55-year-old man and another man for whom no information has been provided – during a major rescue operation. The fourth, a woman, died Monday, a day after she was resuscitated at the scene and flown to a hospital.

Another person remained in hospital, while authorities searched for another missing person, a spokesperson for emergency services told Agence France-Presse.

No additional information was provided regarding the victims’ identities. However, the Slovak Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “has been informed of the death of two Slovak citizens” in the incident, while Bucharest first confirmed the death of one citizen and later that of the second.

The Isla Cangrejo pool, on the coast of Los Gigantes de Tenerife, is very popular with foreign tourists, according to local media. Bordered by volcanic rock on one side and cemented from the sea on the other, the pool is almost at sea level and can be very dangerous during rough seas, when large waves can easily overcome the cement barrier.

Local media reported that a weather warning for rough seas was in effect at the time the swimmers were swept into the sea. A media outlet reported that the pool had been closed to swimmers since December 3.

A witness told local media that two strong waves swept away everything in their path, El País reported.

“We were very far (from the pool) and still the waves reached us,” they said. “I looked back and the pool went from full to empty.”

Residents in the area said swimmers had ignored signs and fences put up to prevent anyone from entering the pool due to the weather conditions. They said it is very difficult for anyone swept out to sea to gain a foothold on the slippery rocks just below the pool.

“People… don’t know what the sea is like here and the danger of the pool, because underneath there are rocks that people fall on and can’t get back up. It’s very dangerous,” said a resident of the area who did not give his name.

Emilio Navarro, mayor of Santiago del Teide, offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and said rescue teams were continuing to search for the missing swimmer on Monday.

He said authorities take steps to warn swimmers of the dangers and discourage them from using the pool when the sea is rough.

“We… ask people to pay attention to the signs posted by the authorities,” he said. “It is to care for and protect everyone.”

Three people were killed and at least 15 injured last month in similar incidents in Tenerife.

A woman died after being swept into the ocean near the Puerto de la Cruz resort and a man died in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, News themezone partner BBC reported at the time. A third man was found dead in the ocean near a beach in Granadilla.

Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, off West Africa.