One person continues to be missing after huge waves dragged tourists bathing in a natural pool out to sea in Tenerife.
A 55-year-old woman, a 35-year-old man, and one other man were declared dead on the natural pool of Crab Island within the shadow of the dramatic volcanic cliffs of Los Gigantes.
A big wave swell crashed into the group of ‘middle-aged’ bathers, some foreign tourists, sweeping them away into the Atlantic Ocean at 4pm on Sunday.
Air ambulances were seen plucking people out of the water and whisking them to safety.
One woman was revived from cardiac arrest by paramedics and was airlifted to the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria Hospital by helicopter.
One other 39-year-old woman suffered ‘moderate trauma’ and was taken to hospital where she stays.
Emergency services remain in the realm in case there are more victims at sea, although no further disappearances have been reported to date.
The Canary Islands archipelago has been under a weather warning since Friday, with forecasts of waves that would reach between two and five meters in height within the northern areas.
The free-to-enter natural rock pool was formed along the volcanic coast, but had a concrete wall built to shelter it from open-sea waves.
Last month, three people died after powerful waves slammed into the port of Tenerife during a tidal surge, injuring 15 cruise passengers.
A 79-year-old Dutch woman was one in all 10 people dragged into the ocean near Puerto de la Cruz after a wave strike.
The remaining nine survived, but two were left with serious trauma and the others minor injuries.
In August, a 44-year-old woman was rescued by helicopter from Crab Isand Pools after displaying symptoms of near drowning.
What’s a tidal surge?
Tidal surges (or storm surges) occur when strong winds and low atmospheric pressure push seawater towards the coast.
They may cause sea levels to rise several metres above the conventional high tide, resulting in flooding in coastal and low-lying areas.
Storms and cyclones over the ocean are the principal cause — the more powerful the wind, the greater the surge.
A tidal surge can mix with a high tide, creating an excellent more dangerous event often known as a storm tide.
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