Life-threatening: Tourists pose for pictures at Brena Baja on Gran Canaria.Image: EPA EFE
Meter-high breakers are claiming several lives on Tenerife and Lanzarote – despite barriers and clear warnings.
Dec 9, 2025, 4:36 p.mDec 9, 2025, 4:36 p.m
Ralph Schulze, Madrid / ch media
The number of victims of the wave tragedy in the Canary Islands is increasing: five people have now died since Sunday and another person is missing. In the wake of the sea storm that has been keeping the Spanish holiday islands in suspense for days, a young Italian has now died after he was swept into the sea by a giant wave while fishing with a fellow countryman on the island of Lanzarote.
After the wave dramas on Tenerife and Lanzarote, the authorities are talking about the worst series of coastal accidents in years – and are making serious accusations against foreign tourists who ignore warnings and break through barriers.
The fifth person killed is a 27-year-old Italian who was fishing with a fellow countryman on Monday in the rocky bay of Los Charcones on Lanzarote. The two amateur fishermen were hit by a breaker and washed into the water. One of them, suffering from hypothermia and numerous abrasions, was able to save himself. The 27-year-old, however, suffered a cardiac arrest, was taken to hospital in critical condition – and died as a result.
Clouds gather over the Punta Mujeres area of Lanzarote (Canary Islands), Spain, April 12, 2025.Image: EPA EFE
The first drama had already occurred on Sunday in Tenerife: In a natural swimming pool below the Los Gigantes cliffs, a huge wave swept numerous bathers into the sea. Four people were killed and at least one person is still missing. On Tuesday, rescue teams were still searching the area around the bay for other possible fatalities.
The natural pool was cordoned off by police
Particularly explosive: The natural pool has been closed since December 3rd. The police cordoned off the bathing area, which was considered dangerous, with large yellow bars and red and white bands with the inscription “Do Not Enter” after the regional government declared a coastal alarm due to high waves.
But many visitors were not impressed by this. “They simply ignored the barrier tape, climbed over it or crawled under it,” complains Emilio Navarro, mayor of the municipality of Santiago del Teide. The unlucky bay is in his municipal area. There is a clear warning on the signs at the entrance – in Spanish, English and German: “Important information for your safety: Dangerous zone in strong waves.” There are also photos showing how a wave washes over the entire natural pool.
A huge wave hits a promenade in the town of Arrecife as Storm Claudia sweeps across the islands, in Lanzarote on November 13, 2025.Image: EPA EFE
Mayor Navarro speaks of a place where the influence of social media and the carelessness of some visitors overlap dangerously: “People see the pictures on social networks and think they have to swim there or take selfies – even when the bay is officially closed.” According to the mayor, the approximately 20 people who were in the closed bay on Sunday were mostly tourists of various nationalities.
Coastal security experts are also sounding the alarm. The many natural seawater basins in the Canary Islands are dangerous places for many holidaymakers, says Sebastián Quintana from the coastal protection association “Canarias 1500 km de Costa”. Quintana: “The tourists think they are safe within the walls, but when there are strong waves these pools turn into deadly traps.” A single large wave could suddenly raise the water level above the protective wall, flood the entire basin and then drag the water and bathers back into the open sea with great force.
Quintana’s results for this year are sobering: around 65 people have already drowned on the coast of the Canary Islands in 2025 – a similar number to the previous year. What’s particularly alarming is that most of the victims are tourists. A large number of them were in the water or near the coast while an official warning about “dangerous coastal phenomena” was in effect or a red prohibition flag was flying on the beach. (aargauerzeitung.ch)