Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The family of Arek, a 15-year-old boy of Polish origin who vanished a week ago in the waters of Charco del Viento, located in the municipality of La Guancha in Tenerife, has appealed for assistance in their ongoing quest to locate the child, as conveyed by the Association ‘Canary Islands, 1500 km of coast’ to the press.
“We wish to find him and bring him home. He is out there, somewhere in the ocean, waiting for us. We earnestly ask for help in our search for him. Please, do not cease in your efforts,” expressed Kasia, the mother of the missing teenager, in comments recorded by the association in a press release.
The association relates that it was around 11:30 on Saturday when Arek was foraging for crabs and snails alongside his 5-year-old cousin, at which point a massive wave surged onto the shore and swept him into the sea from the natural pool at Charco del Viento.
Initially, it was reported that they were swimming in this coastal area.
The association continues, explaining that at that moment the girl’s father plunged into the water to try to rescue them, managing only to grasp the girl’s arm, whilst Arek was drawn away by the force of the waves in this rocky and treacherous coastal region.
They were unaware of the coastal phenomena alert
Arek was enjoying a sun-soaked beach holiday in the southern part of the island with his family and, according to ‘Canary Islands, 1500 km of coast’, was oblivious to the fact that a pre-alert had been issued across the entire Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands that day due to coastal phenomena, warning of waves reaching heights up to 4 metres.
Under these circumstances, his mother, Kasia, reached out to the Association ‘Canarias, 1500 km of coast’ to promote awareness about aquatic safety, asking for them to disseminate a message of assistance and support to the public, while expressing her deep gratitude for the efforts of all emergency services, rescuers, and medical personnel who have been searching for the child’s body by land, sea, and air over the past days.
“Exactly one week ago, the ocean waves took our cherished son. We are profoundly thankful for all the support and kindness we have received. Nevertheless, we still feel he is out there, somewhere, waiting.”