30ft Wave Swallows ‘Reckless’ Tourists in Canary Islands (Video)

On the Canary Islands, drownings are a serious problem.

Last December four people died on the island of Tenerife, when they were swept out to sea by a rogue wave while swimming in a popular natural pool. Warnings against dangerous surf were allegedly posted at the time, and those warnings were ignored.

And now, new imagery out of the Spanish archipelago shows yet another incident involving tourists disregarding safety precautions, getting close to an angry ocean to take photos, and then nearly being swept out to sea by a wave toppling cliffs over 30 feet.

Canarias 1500 km de Costa, an organization Fighting for safer protocols and anti-drowning awareness on the Canaries, posted the clip with the caption:

“New recklessness on the Canary coasts: tourists jump the fence and are close to being swept away by the strong waves on the coast of Gáldar, in Gran Canaria

“The events occurred in the area of the Sardine Lighthouse, in the north of the island, where a group of people jumped the safety fence, accessing an area with cliffs over 10 meters high, risking their lives.”

The hits keep coming from the Canaries, which is also a heavy-water hotspot for surfers looking to test their mettle in open-ocean Atlantic waves. But tourists with little aquatic experience or awareness, on the other hand, that’s another story.

In 2021, the Canaris 1500 km de Costa organization published a report, stating:

“The incidence of drownings, however, is far higher than many realize. In the Canary Islands, it is the leading cause of accidental death and doubles the number of victims of traffic accidents. For example, last year 43 people lost their lives in the islands' waters, compared to 21 on the roads. The archipelago has also led the national drowning statistics for seven consecutive years.”

Don’t mess with mother nature; that selfie isn’t worth it.