At Least 4 Dead as Wave Strikes Seaside Island Pool

A group enjoying a natural pool on the picturesque Spanish island of Tenerife were swept out to sea Sunday when a large wave suddenly struck, killing at least four, according to reports. The incident happened around 4pm local time at a natural pool at the Los Gigantes cliffs, a popular tourist spot, according to the Emergency and Rescue Group of the Canary Islands, which said an unspecified number of people were "surprised by a wave" and swept out. One was found dead in the water, per People. Two others died at the scene. The three were described as a 35-year-old man, 55-year-old woman, and a man of unknown age, all from outside the country. A fourth victim, who was resuscitated from cardiac arrest, died Monday at a hospital, the Guardian reports, adding that a fifth person remains missing.

A crew using jet skis initially rescued the woman who later died. Rescuers managed to save at least two others: a 39-year-old woman who was hospitalized, reportedly after being recovered by a medical helicopter, and a third person who initially exited the water on their own but required further treatment. The pool, especially popular with foreign tourists, sits just above sea level and "can be very dangerous during rough seas" when large waves can carry swimmers out into the sea or onto jagged rocks, the Guardian reports, noting a rough sea advisory was in effect. Some reports indicate the pool was closed but that swimmers ignored the signs. This comes almost exactly one month after three people died in two separate incidents involving large waves in Tenerife on Nov. 8.