A British family has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers visiting the Canary Islands after they narrowly avoided being swept to their deaths in a tragic incident that claimed four lives. The horrifying event occurred on December 7 at the man-made natural pools in Los Gigantes, on Tenerife's west coast.
A Day of Holiday Turns to Horror
Kai Barrington, 42, and Sarah Jellard, 39, from Devon, were enjoying a holiday on the Spanish island with their 20-month-old baby. They visited the popular Los Gigantes pools on the very afternoon the disaster unfolded. At around 4pm, experienced surfer Kai entered the water, which was busy with other tourists, while Sarah stayed further back with their toddler.
Moments later, a series of massive waves smashed against the shoreline, completely engulfing the pool area. The powerful surge pulled around a dozen swimmers out into the open ocean. Kai described clinging to the bottom of the pool as the waves tumbled him, a move he believes saved his life. "I realised I was being pulled over the edge," he said. "I saw two people to the left of me get pulled over the side."
The Helpless Wait and a Major Rescue Operation
From her vantage point, Sarah watched in terror as her partner struggled and others were dragged away. "It’s the most helpless situation you can ever be in because there’s nothing you can do," she recounted. Tragically, she witnessed one person drown. "I watched them swim and take their last stroke, and then not take another one."
A major rescue operation was immediately launched. It led to the recovery of three bodies: a 35-year-old man, a 55-year-old woman, and another man. A woman who was airlifted to hospital died the following day. A fifth person remains missing. Kai was treated in hospital and later released.
An Urgent Safety Plea to Visitors
The family is now sharing their experience to highlight the hidden dangers of the Canary Islands' many natural and man-made coastal pools, which are popular with tourists. While often appearing calm and sheltered, these areas can be extremely vulnerable to sudden, powerful waves known as "cleaning waves."
Their warning serves as a critical reminder for all visitors to respect the power of the sea, to heed local safety warnings, and to be acutely aware of changing conditions, even in seemingly protected swimming spots. The incident underscores that natural beauty can mask significant risk, especially on volcanic islands like Tenerife where ocean conditions can change without warning.
