A tragic accident in Puerto de la Cruz, on the north coast of Tenerife, claimed the life of a woman and left several others injured after a massive wave struck the seafront on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
According to emergency services group of tourists, some of them identified as cruise ship passengers were standing on the pier watching the rough sea when a powerful wave crashed over the promenade, sweeping several people into the ocean.
“None of them were swimming; they were simply observing the sea,” explained Sebastián Quintana, president of the coastal safety platform Canarias, 1,500 km de costa, who described the event as one of the most harrowing scenes he had ever witnessed. Despite an official coastal alert warning of dangerous waves, the force of the swell caught the visitors by complete surprise.
Rescue teams responded immediately, but the toll was devastating: ten people were affected, with one woman dead and three seriously injured. Authorities confirmed that some of those swept away were foreign tourists who had disembarked earlier that morning from a cruise ship docked in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for an island excursion.
The woman who died is believed to be of Dutch nationality and was reportedly pulled from the water and went into cardiac arrest. She could not be revived despite the rapid intervention of emergency responders.
The tragedy unfolded as parts of the Canary Islands were under “red alert” with waves reportedly reaching heights of up to 15 feet in some areas.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and renewed calls for residents and visitors to respect sea warnings and avoid coastal promenades during adverse weather.
Officials have not disclosed the name of the cruise ship the victim were traveling on. However, port records show that four cruise ships were visiting Santa Cruz de Tenerife on November 8, 2025:
- Silver Dawn (Silversea Cruises)
- Azura (P&O Cruises)
- Mein Schiff 3 (TUI Cruises)
- Sky Princess (Princess Cruises)
Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and all those affected by this tragic event.
