VIDEO: UK tourist seriously injured in horror Tenerife cliff dive
The Briton smashed into the rocks after ‘tombstoning’ from a cliff in a Spanish island beauty spot
A British tourist was lucky to escape with his life on Monday April 15 when he badly misjudged a leap from a cliff in a Tenerife beauty spot and smashed into the rocks far below.
The 40-year-old and his pals were ‘tombstoning’, a deadly craze among holidaymakers in Spain that involves jumping from a high outcrop into deep water. This stunt-gone-wrong happened at Charco El Tancon in Puerto Santiago in northern Tenerife, a submerged sea cave that is supposed to be off-limits to swimmers.
In stomach-churning footage of the near-tragedy, the man can be seen leaping from the cliff, aiming for the small pool of water below him. But he overshot, and landed feet-first on the rocks.
El Tancón en Tenerife, vuelve a convertirse en trágica noticia por la más absurda de las imprudencias. Estos jóvenes se juegan la vida a pesar de las recomendaciones de los guardavidas .
— Canarias 1500 Km de Costa Prevención Ahogamientos (@1500_costa) April 17, 2024
Por favor, no más acciones suicidas, no más muertes en el mar.
Prevención y sentido común. pic.twitter.com/KogsJVNP5f
A spokesperson for the regional emergency services said: “A 40-year-old foreign man has been taken by ambulance to Hospiten Sur University Hospital.
“He had several serious lower limb trauma injuries.
“The first emergency call was received at 2.10pm on Monday, saying the foreign man needed medical assistance after hitting rocks when he jumped into the sea pool at Charco El Tancon.
“His companions had already got him out of the water by the time the first emergency responders arrived.”
Over the years, several people have lost their lives at this particular sea cave, which is known for sudden strong waves that can fill the cave up in the blink of an eye, trapping unsuspecting explorers inside. For this very reason, it’s listed as “permanently closed” on TripAdvisor, but this doesn’t stop foolhardy tourists from taking a chance.
Commenting on this latest incident, Canarias 1,500 KM de Costa, an association on the Canary island dedicated to preventing such accidents, said: “El Tancon in Tenerife has once again become tragic news for the most absurd recklessness.”
“Please: no more recklessness, no more suicidal actions, no more deaths at sea. Prevention and common sense.”
In other news: BBC announces new no-holds-barred Ibiza documentary
Image: Canarias 1500 Km de Costa Prevención Ahogamientos
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