The natural swimming pool of Isla Cangrejo, in Los Gigantes (Tenerife), where a storm surge caused four deaths and one missing person this Sunday, has been closed due to the danger of waves since the government of the Canary Islands declared a pre-alert for adverse coastal phenomena on Friday.
However, many people, especially tourists, have circumvented the access ban, Santiago del Teide Mayor Emilio Navarro told EFE.
In addition to being closed on this occasion, the signs at the entrance to the natural swimming pool clearly indicate this risk, in Spanish, English and German (“Important information for your safety: dangerous area in situations of strong waves”) accompanied by three photos which illustrate how a wave can destroy the entire swimming pool.
Navarro showed his dismay at this event and announced that the City Hall had decreed three days of official mourning.
He explained that on Sunday afternoon, there were around twenty people there, of various nationalities, including Spaniards from the peninsula, all tourists.
The pre-alert already warned that waves of two to three meters were expected, particularly dangerous at high tide (which, in this case, took place an hour before the accident).
“The sea begins to warn, they stand on the edge of the wall, a wave comes, it seems like nothing is happening,” but it happens, he lamented.
The dissemination of images of this place through social networks is one of the factors that attract tourists to the natural pool of Isla Cangrejo even when it is closed.
“It is mainly visitors, because the locals are much more aware of the danger,” he explained to Emilio Navarro.
Among the deceased, there are two people of Romanian nationality and one Slovak, he said, while specifying that this is the information he has and not official information.
“We are very sorry for this unfortunate accident, we understand the pain of the families and their situation, from the City Hall we carry out all the sealing and information work,” explained Navarro.
The mayor confirmed that there are still signs warning of danger in the place and that it was sealed and fenced as always when there are coastal phenomena alerts, but many people “use leverage and crawl under the fences” to gain access.
Emilio Navarro congratulated the Civil Guard and the Local Police who work continuously to maintain the seal and the fence and to evict people from these spaces.
“We constantly warn of these dangers”, but “more and more people, especially tourists”, do not respect the signs when they see these places promoted on social networks. “They are very beautiful places but they carry the danger that they present and we must respect that,” he insisted.
The Santiago del Teide tragedy comes just a month after three other people died in Tenerife and fifteen others were injured by maritime strikes in several accidents on the same day.
The most serious occurred at the Puerto de la Cruz dock, when a large wave swept ten people into the sea, one of whom died.
Two other people died in similar accidents that same Saturday on the beach of Granadilla de Abona and on the coast of Charco del Viento, in La Guancha.
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