Tenerife regrettably holds the top position among the Canary Islands regarding fatalities due to drowning and accidents at sea. According to the aquatic accident map compiled by the Canary Islands Association over the past nine years, which covers 1,500 kilometres of coastline, 25 individuals lost their lives on beaches, pools or natural pools on the island. Additionally, 43 others suffered various injuries, and seven required rescue during distressing situations along Tenerife’s coast. This figure marks an increase of one death compared to the previous year.
Incidents were documented in 46 bathing locations across 18 municipalities, which represents more than half of the 31 municipalities on Tenerife. Santa Cruz and Arona experienced the highest death toll, with four fatalities recorded in each town last year, particularly on the beaches of Las Teresitas (2) and Almáciga (2) in the capital.
In Arona, the fatalities occurred on the beaches of La Arena, El Camisón and Los Cristianos, as well as a diver whose exact location of death remains unspecified. Santiago del Teide, Granadilla de Abona, La Laguna, and El Rosario were each reported to have two deaths.
In Granadilla, the fatalities transpired at El Cabezo and La Tejita beaches, while in Santiago del Teide, they occurred at the natural pools of Los Gigantes and the pool at Isla Cangrejo. Notably, no deaths were recorded last year at the hazardous pool of Tancón, where swimming is prohibited, although two injuries were noted. In total, seven injured individuals and one rescue were reported in the coastal areas of this municipality.
Moreover, in El Rosario, two deaths were reported at the Bocacangrejo shore. In La Laguna, two individuals lost their lives at the Barranco de Huertas and at the tip of Hidalgo.
The analysis provided by Sebastián Quintana, the study’s author and president of the Canary Islands, 1500 km of coast initiative, indicates that last year, a total of 124 beaches, coastal points, and swimming pools across 47 of the 88 municipalities of the archipelago recorded 186 aquatic incidents, leading to 72 fatalities, 9 critical injuries, 15 serious injuries, 52 moderate injuries, and 24 rescues without injury.
Of the deceased, 67% (48 individuals) were bathers, 14% (10 individuals) were crew or passengers of vessels or individuals who fell into the water due to slips or wave impacts; 8% were divers (6 individuals); 7% were fishermen (5 individuals); and 4% (3 individuals) were aquatic sports enthusiasts.
Foreigners in 62% of cases
Furthermore, 62% of the fatalities were foreigners from up to seven different nationalities. The majority of incidents occurred at beaches (52%); followed by ports and coastal areas (25%); natural pools (14%); and to a lesser extent, swimming pools (9%). The Canarian drowning map, accompanied by an audiovisual campaign featuring 16 television spots with prevention advice recorded in six languages, is disseminated in hotels and universities across various countries. This pioneering project in Spain and the European Union is notable for the reliability of its collected data, of which 90% is derived from official figures from the Canary Islands 112, Civil Guard, maritime rescue, local police, and other organisations associated with safety and emergency services.
This initiative, spearheaded by the Association for the Prevention of Canary Islands, 1,500 km of Coast, is supported by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Elder Museum of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water of the Canary Islands Government, the Department of Tourism, and the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Binter.
