Two people have died, with a further 40 evacuated, in Tenerife in the wake of strong winds, flooding and rough seas which have battered the Canary Islands.
Yesterday, emergency services rushed to rescue both a diver suffering a heart attack and a 53-year-old Czech tourist who had fallen into the sea while taking photos of the strong waves around the island’s Puerto de la Cruz.
While responders were able to retrieve the two men, both later died.
Some 112 Canarias, the islands’ security and emergency service, released a statement on social media alongside dramatic footage of the 53-year-old’s rescue, which said he was retrieved from the sea “in cardiorespiratory arrest” via helicopter.
Footage from the emergency services showed the moment a 53-year-old man was airlifted from the sea
Gobierno de Canarias/X
Once the man had been lifted from the water, emergency personnel attempted to revive him while the helicopter came in to land.
An ambulance was on hand nearby to continue efforts to resuscitate the 53-year-old, but he was confirmed dead a few minutes later – at which point his body was taken into police custody before being passed to relevant authorities.
The islands had been handed a series of weather alerts – for wind, coastal flooding and “coastal phenomena” – which were stood down earlier today (April 11).
But homes and vehicles across the Canary Islands have been hit hard by the adverse conditions; one house in Candelaria, on Tenerife’s eastern coast, was partially destroyed by high waters – which has left it at risk of collapsing into the sea.
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Clean-up and repair efforts across the islands are still ongoing as residents scramble to recover from the storm
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As a result of the conditions, Candelaria residents have been left unable to access both its beach and a plaza down by the coast.
A statement from the town’s local authority said: “A coastal flood risk alert has been declared in the municipality of Candelaria.
“The public is asked to take responsibility by not accessing closed areas or areas marked as dangerous and to collaborate with all the personnel working in the area.”
Meanwhile, firefighters had to recover numerous vehicles at Playa del Socorro on the island’s north coast to protect them from rising water levels.
At least 47 people have been evacuated across the Canary Islands – with 40 in Tenerife alone from four towns and villages along its coast.
Authorities recommended locals exercise “extreme precaution”, advised against travel to ports and jetties, and warned against taking photos near the waves, while drivers were told to avoid coastal roads.
A further 17 homes were evacuated in total, with their occupants transferred to Red Cross-administered facilities.
Clean-up and repair efforts across the islands are still ongoing as residents scramble to recover from the storm.
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