For a long time, lifeguards at Playa el Socorro in the north of Tenerife had been trying to persuade him with words. But a recalcitrant swimmer refused to be pulled out of the water. Finally, one lifeguard plucked up the courage and went into the water himself.
In the midst of a spell of high waves and a consequent ‚red flag‘ warning, 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:
Tenerife: Lifeguards have to force man out of the water
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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 shout abuse at the lifeguard. Finally, friends rushed to his aid and tried to pull the agitated young man out of the situation.
Overconfidence is the most common cause of drowning in the Canary Islands
Watching the video, the intervention appears rather rough. Yet 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 even people standing in water only waist-deep out into the open sea. 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.
«Lifeguards on Tenerife force a swimmer out of the water»
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