Fatal wave at Tenerife’s Isla Cangrejo natural pool leaves four dead
A powerful wave struck the Isla Cangrejo natural pool in the coastal area of Los Gigantes, Tenerife, at around midday on December 7, 2025, sweeping swimmers into the ocean. Four tourists died, several others were injured, and one person remains missing. A coastal pre-alert for rough seas was in effect at the time of the incident.
Charco de Isla Cangrejo natural pool, Los Gigantes, Tenerife - the site where high waves swept several swimmers into the ocean on December 7, 2025. Image credit: Peliny
A powerful wave impacted the Isla Cangrejo natural pool in the municipality of Santiago del Teide, Tenerife, at around midday on December 7, sweeping swimmers from the pool into the open ocean.
Local emergency services reported that four people died as a result of the incident, and one person remains missing as of December 10. Several others sustained injuries of varying severity.
Emergency personnel recovered three bodies on December 7. A fourth victim, rescued in critical condition, died on December 8. Maritime rescue units, firefighters, police, and air support were deployed in the search and recovery operation, which continued into December 9 due to the remaining missing person.
Regional authorities had issued a pre-alert for hazardous coastal conditions, including waves reaching up to 4 m (13 feet). According to local officials, the natural pool area was closed and cordoned off before the incident due to the sea-state warning. Some individuals reportedly accessed the site despite the restrictions.
Local media identified the deceased as foreign tourists, with reports indicating that the victims included two Romanian citizens and two Slovak citizens. The nationality of the missing person has not yet been officially confirmed.
The incident occurred during a period of strong swell affecting the western and northern coasts of the Canary Islands, driven by a North Atlantic low-pressure system generating long-period waves. These conditions frequently produce overtopping at natural pools and exposed coastal areas across the archipelago during the winter months.
Authorities have urged residents and visitors to avoid closed coastal locations during high-surf advisories and emphasized that overtopping waves can occur suddenly, even under seemingly stable conditions.
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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