Survivors of Tenerife fatal wave warn of dangers of sea pools

A family from Devon is raising awareness of the dangers of natural pools after narrowly escaping drowning on a trip to the Canary Islands.

A series of large waves struck a man-made natural pool in Los Gigantes, on the western coast of Tenerife, on Sunday December 7, killing four people, with one individual still reported missing.

Kai Barrington, 42, Sarah Jellard, 39, and their 20-month-old baby, from Braunton, had been on holiday on the island and visited the tourist hotspot on the same day.

At around 4pm, Mr Barrington, along with dozens of other visitors, entered the water while Sarah and their toddler sat higher up.

Minutes later, a series of large waves hit the shore, engulfing the pool and taking a dozen swimmers with it.

Mr Barrington, an experienced surfer, stayed under the wave and clung onto the bottom of the pool, which he says saved his life.

He said: “Because I was in a sea pool as the waves were crashing over and I being tumbled around a bit, I didn’t really think anything of it. It’s a scenario I’m used to and comfortable.

“It was really only when I’d come up, I think maybe the second time after one of the big waves had hit, and I was holding onto the bottom with my fingertips, that I realised I was being pulled over the edge.

“I saw two people to the left of me get pulled over the side.”

Ms Jellard, who sat a few metres up, witnessed her partner struggling in water and being shuffled around by waves as a group of individuals was being pulled away into the ocean.

She said: “I started looking out to sea, looking out for Kai and it’s the most helpless situation you can ever be in because there’s nothing you can do, there’s no ropes around you, there’s nothing, emergency services have been called, there’s nothing you can do but just watch your love in the sea.

“I then watched someone swim, I didn’t know who it was because I couldn’t (see) at such a distance.

“I watched them drown. I saw them swim and take their last stroke, and then not take another one.”

A major rescue operation, including jet skis and helicopters, led to the discovery of the bodies of a 35-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, and the body of another man about whom no information was given.

A woman who had been airlifted to hospital died the following day.

A fifth person was never found.

Mr Barrington, who managed to reach safety, was taken to hospital before being released.

The Spanish archipelago, located off the coast of north-west Africa, has dozens of natural rock pools, some of which have been made accessible to swimmers with concrete walls and steps.

Bordered by volcanic rock on one side and cemented off from the sea on the other, the pool at Los Gigantes, which sits a few metres above sea level, is popular among holidaymakers.

According to the couple, the water had been calm that day, with no obvious sign of danger and no barriers preventing entry.

They now want to raise awareness of the dangers of man-made natural pools, adding they would not have taken any risks, particularly with a toddler, had they known about the potential harm.

The family said more should be done to inform tourists of possible changes in weather conditions and hazards around such spots.

Ms Jellard added: “To those poor families, it didn’t have to happen and they didn’t do anything wrong that day. They did exactly what we did. We went down on a sunny day where the sea looked calm.

“When we left, we were turning people away to say ‘don’t go there, don’t go there’.

“There’s been fatalities that they wouldn’t have even known of because the sea looked so calm. Half an hour later people were just strolling down with a towel over their shoulders.”

Spanish authorities have been contacted for comment.