Brit dies in Tenerife sea tragedy after 'cardiac arrest' as heroes tried to save him

A British holidaymaker has tragically died after swimming close to a popular beach in Tenerife as lifeguards and medical staff tired desperately to save his life

Natalia Penza News Correspondent and Simon Hamalienko Publishing Lead

10:10, 21 Jan 2026Updated 10:27, 21 Jan 2026

[Picturesque El Duque beach in Costa Adeje. Tenerife. Canary islands, Spain]

The incident took place on El Duque beach in Costa Adeje, Tenerife (file)

A British holidaymaker has died after going for a swim in the sea at a Tenerife beach. The 75-year-old was assisted by lifeguards after being pulled out of the water at El Duque beach in Costa Adeje in the south of the island around midday yesterday (January 20).

A doctor and a nurse from a nearby health centre continued to try to revive him along with paramedics when they arrived after it was confirmed he had gone into cardiac arrest.

But they were unable to get the pensioners heart beating again and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The tourist was initially described as a 70-year-old foreigner.

Well-placed sources confirmed today he was a 75-year-old British national who had celebrated his birthday less than a fortnight ago.

[Playa del Duque is a magical beach, with golden sand and calm waves, situated in the popular town of Costa Adeje, in south Tenerife.]

Costa Adeje is a popular area for Brit holidaymakers (file)(Image: Dark_Eni via Getty Images)

An autopsy was due to take place today in the island capital Santa Cruz to determine if he had drowned or whether his death was linked to a health problem.

It was not immediately clear this morning if he had been alone at the beach, an urban beach with a Blue Flag which is known for its strong sea currents, or was with family or friends.

A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response co-ordination centre said: The man died after being rescued at El Duque beach when he had gone into cardiac arrest.

He was initially assisted by lifeguards before ambulance staff together with a doctor and a nurse from a nearby health centre arrived and continued with CPR which proved unsuccessful.

[Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain - September 4, 2018: view of the popular resort of Las Americas from the top of San Eugenio Alto neighborhood, the busiest area in the south of the island of Tenerife.]

The Brit, who is currently unnamed, had recently celebrated their birthday (file) (Image: Getty Images)

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The first calls came in just after 12.50pm yesterday.

Local police assisted and officers from the National Police force are putting together a report for a local investigating court.

Tenerife was at the centre of sea tragedies late last year when the coastline was battered by waves during storms.

Four people died and another three were injured on December 7 after being swept into the sea at a complex of natural pools on the Los Gigantes cliffs in the north-west of the island.

A month earlier three people died and 15 were injured after being swept out to sea by high waves.

Most were tourists, with the worst incident in the northern port city of Puerto de la Cruz on November 8 resulting in a 79-year-old Dutch holidaymaker who had just left her cruise liner losing her life and nine others needing hospital treatment after being knocked off a sea wall.

In another the same day six French tourists also ended up in the ocean after being swept off their feet as they wave-watched in Roque de las Bodegas on the islands north-east tip. Luckily they all survived.

On November 27, a search was launched for a British pensioner who plunged from a TUI-operated cruise ship north of the Canary Islands.

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The 76-year-old went overboard from the adults-only Marella Explorer 2 just before 10am when it was 16.5 nautical miles northwest of Punta de Teno in Tenerife.

The sea and air operation to try to find him was wound down after an intensive two days of searching.

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