On several occasions, the lifeguards at Playa el Socorro in the north of Tenerife tried to reason with him. But one unruly swimmer absolutely refused to get out of the water. Finally, one lifeguard plucked up the courage and went into the water himself. Things then got heated.
In the midst of rough seas and a clearly visible ‚red flag‘, a young man went into the water at the beach in Los Realejos, which is particularly popular with surfers. Several lifeguards called out to the man, but he did not hear them.
Eventually, one of the lifeguards on the public beach went into the water and tapped the man on the shoulder from behind. He asked him once again to come back ashore. But the young man refused again. The lifeguard then pushed the man back. Shortly afterwards, a scuffle broke out, as the following video shows:
Los Realejos: Rescuers push swimmer ashore together
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After the lifeguard had pushed the swimmer a short distance towards the north coast of Tenerife, the swimmer resisted again. The lifeguard eventually shoved the man. The swimmer lost his balance and fell into the water. This led to another verbal altercation.
Eventually, another man in a half-unbuttoned wetsuit came to his aid. Between the two of them, they managed to push the swimmer ashore. But once there, the swimmer continued to rant at the lifeguard. Eventually, friends rushed to help and tried to pull the agitated young man out of the situation.
Canary Islands: Overconfidence is usually the cause of drowning
Watching the video, the intervention appears rather rough. However, lifeguards in the Canary Islands are regularly confronted with scenes like these. If necessary, they must also use physical force to bring uncooperative swimmers back ashore when the danger is too great. Undercurrents can drag people out into the open sea even if they are only waist-deep in the water. A rescue operation then also poses an immediate risk to the lives of all the lifeguards involved.
In the Canary Islands, 45 people drowned by the end of August alone, including six minors. The figures have risen compared with last year. The authorities cite overconfidence as the most common cause, particularly in poor sea conditions.
«Anyone ignoring Tenerife's red flag will be pushed ashore if necessary»
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