A large wave several meters high caused the incident on Sunday the most tragic of the last fifteen years on the coasts of the Canary Islands Several people were dragged and four died by drowning (the last today after being taken to hospital) and others get hurt.
Despite it looking for a fifth which was swallowed by the sea in the natural pool of the Crab Island puddleon the Acantilado de los Gigantes, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide (Tenerife). Additional victims have not been ruled out, although the disappearances of other people have not yet been reported. At the time of the event were in the pool about 20 people, including foreign and peninsular tourists.
Emergency services who responded to the scene rescued a woman in cardiac arrest, who was stabilized and evacuated to hospital, where she died overnight. At that time, three other people died (a 55-year-old woman, a 35-year-old man and another person whose age was not confirmed).
The victims were surprised while swimming in a natural pool from Crab Island –very typical on the Canary Islands- that was destroyed by the waves.
The search for a missing person has been ongoing since Sunday afternoon, but has so far been unsuccessful.
Two of those who died at the scene These are tourists of Romanian and Slovak nationalityaccording to municipal sources, although they have indicated that this information is not yet official.
In addition, several people who were also in the pool had to treated for bruises and bruises.
Bathers were surprised as they enjoyed one of the Canary Islands’ great attractions: rock formations that create natural pools in the sea that attract many tourists Dissemination of images on social networks.
However, due to the proximity to the waterThese pools can pose a deadly danger when strong wave episodes are recorded, such as those crossing the Canary Islands since Friday, for which there are such Advance warning situation due to coastal phenomena at various points along the coast.
The mayor of Santiago del Teide, a town near the Isla Cangrejo pool, Emilio Navarro, told EFE The place was closed due to the risk of wavesbut many people, especially tourists, have skipped the ban.
The advance warning already warned that they should expect this Waves of two to three meters: “The sea begins to warn, they are standing on the edge of the wall, a small wave comes, it seems as if nothing is happening,” but it is happening, lamented Navarro.
“We constantly warn about these dangers,” but “more and more people, especially tourists“-Locals are much more aware of the danger – they do not respect the signs when they see these places being promoted on social networks, as happened on Sunday afternoon when there were about 20 people in the place,” he explained.
“They are very beautiful places, but they pose the danger that they have and we must respect them,” emphasized the mayor, who also recalled that there are signs about them at the entrance to the natural pool They clearly indicate this risk in Spanish, English and German.
Events such as Sundays are common across the islands, the last time being a month ago on November 8th than others Three people died and fifteen others were injured in Tenerife due to maritime strikes in several accidents that occurred on the same day.
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