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Holidaymakers were warned to steer clear of the strong waves.
15:42, Mon, Jan 26, 2026 Updated: 15:49, Mon, Jan 26, 2026
An orange warning was issued due to the strong waves (Image: Getty)
A young tourist is believed to have drowned, while three of his friends narrowly escaped death, after being dragged away by huge waves in the Canary Islands. The search for the missing man following the tragic incident in Lanzarote continues with police using drones and jet skis to try and find him.
A large emergency device was activated on Sunday (January 25) afternoon after the 112 line received an alert that four people were in trouble in the area of Los Charcones, in Playa Blanca, within the municipality of Yaiza. The incident in Los Charcones echoes other tragedies in the Canaries, where multiple people have been hit by huge waves and resulted in deaths.
Holidaymakers, however, had been warned to keep away from the dangerous sea off a popular resort that the four friends had been at.
According to the information provided, the four young people of American nationality, aged between 19 and 21 and students in Madrid, were spending a few days in a holiday home in Arrecife, when two of them were dragged by the sea.
The other two managed to get out of the breakwater by their own means. Both suffered minor injuries but refused healthcare. A third was rescued by the Emergency and Rescue Group (GES) but the fourth is still missing.
The authorities had previously warned about tidal surges, with waves up to 20ft high, and the area where the events took place was closed off to swimming due to an orange warning for strong waves.
Authorities are planning to implement a fine for those who swim when it is banned (Image: Getty)
Firefighters from the Lanzarote Security and Emergency Consortium, the Civil Guard, air resources, and the Canary Islands Emergency Service are all involved in the search operation. Though it was suspended on Sunday at 8pm due to limited visibility and adverse sea conditions.
"The hope of finding the young man alive remains, and the authorities remind that the area of Los Charcones is dangerous, especially with the bad sea alert in force in the Canary Islands. The operation will continue throughout the day, combining search work by land, sea and air, in coordination with all available emergency bodies," said a rescue service spokesman.
The Costa del Sol and other popular Spanish holiday hotspots are planning on issuing fines to tourists who blatantly ignore red flags on the region's beaches, saying dozens of drowning deaths during a "tragic" summer are totally unacceptable.
The Andalusian regional government is drafting a regulation to crack down on reckless behaviour during freak weather, fires and mass-crowd situations.
The future law will include fines for people who act irresponsibly or recklessly and swim when swimming is banned. Those who do so risk being fined up to 3000 euros, which is equivalent to around £2605.
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"Something is happening to public awareness when there are 169 deaths in a heat wave and something is happening when there are drownings; red flags are raised, and people continue to swim when it is absolutely prohibited," said regional minister, Antonio Sanz.
"This law will be groundbreaking in Spain and will include a sanctioning regime to reduce risks and raise public awareness in emergency situations."
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