This is the horrifying moment a group of British tourists counts down before their friend misjudges his leap into the abyss and crashes onto rocks at a notorious beauty spot in Tenerife.
The 40-year-old man, also thought to be British, was stretchered away from the scene “seriously injured” on Monday after his accident.
Footage of the horror incident emerged overnight, showing a group of men believed to be friends of the holidaymaker counting down from five before he launched himself into the air.
The stomach-turning video showed the man, who authorities have described as a foreigner, smashing feet-first onto the rocks around the small sea surface he had intended to jump in.
The witnesses could be overheard reacting immediately as he missed his target and rebounded from the rocks into the water with clear signs his injuries included at least one broken leg.
Some appeared to have performed the same leap moments earlier and were still in the water when he suffered his horrific accident.
The near-tragedy happened around 2pm on Monday at a sea cave called Charco El Tancon in Puerto Santiago in northern Tenerife.
Several holidaymakers have lost their lives at the off-limits cave.
Spanish influencer Marina Rivera Saldana, who has two million followers on Instagram, was criticised for posting photos of her swimming at the spot last September where bathing is prohibited.
It is listed as “permanently closed” on TripAdvisor, where locals warn people not to visit.
Witnesses to Monday’s accident reported seeing a group of tourists filming themselves performing somersaults and diving off the rocks into the open sea before moving over to the spot where the horror accident occurred.
The injured man had been pulled out of the water by the time the emergency services arrived.
A spokesman for a regional emergency services coordinator said after he was rushed to hospital: “A 40-year-old foreign man has been taken by ambulance to Hospiten Sur University Hospital.
“He had several serious lower limb trauma injuries.
“The first emergency call was received at 2.10pm on Monday, saying the foreign man needed medical assistance after hitting rocks when he jumped into the sea pool at Charco El Tancon.
“His companions had already got him out of the water by the time the first emergency responders arrived.”
Firefighters took him to a local health centre where he was stabilised before his transfer to hospital.
It was not immediately clear today what his current condition is.
A Canary Islands-based organisation set up to prevent aquatic accidents like Monday’s incident said in an overnight post: “El Tancon in Tenerife has once again become tragic news for the most absurd recklessness.”
Saying the video footage of the accident showed people “freely risking their lives and recording everything for social media” despite warning signs, a spokesman for the group said: “Please: no more recklessness, no more suicidal actions, no more deaths at sea. Prevention and common sense.”
The site where the accident occurred, part of a complex of natural pools on the Los Gigantes cliffs, has been described as a “mortal paradise.”
One online travel page described it as “one of the most beautiful places in all of Tenerife” before bathing there was banned.
It adds: “There is also a cave under the rocks that you can swim in. There is also an alternate descent on the other side that will allow you to see the cave from below.
“Common sense is very important here, as the pool can be very dangerous in high tide. Then the cave fills with water and getting out can be very difficult. Therefore, it is worth observing the situation in the ocean and not taking risks when the water begins to rise.”
An English-speaking visitor wrote on TripAdvisor in September 2022: “I found the cave by accident back in 1999. It is a mesmerising place, watching the cave fill up and empty with the swell of the sea.
“As I am not a strong swimmer, I would not dare go into it. I have read over the years that strong swimmers have succumbed to the speed the cave fills up, resulting in them being pinned to the roof of the cave and having either fatal head injuries or drowning.
“I have visited the place over three different holiday years so have seen some ‘hairy’ sea conditions. To stand and see just how quickly the cave fills up terrified me.
“ Please, if you do visit this place, be very mindful of the consequences of what may happen to you as you will have no control whatsoever.”
A Spanish local replied: “DO NOT GET IN. People die here every year. Although it may seem that the sea is calm, in a matter of seconds a range of waves can come in, leading you to the grave.
“Once you are in the water, the cave fills up with the waves, hitting your head to the ceiling of the cave and leaving you unconscious.
”Your only way out would be to dive as deep as possible and wait there for a couple minutes. This is impossible for most of us. Please do not attempt to swim here. THERE IS NO WAY OUT.”
Another visitor added: “We passed this natural ‘swimming pool’ a couple of times on our way from Puerto de Santiago and Los Gigantes.
“It is well signposted but there are also warning signs at the start of the steps down to the pool indicating that people who use it do so at their own risk as there are no lifeguards.
“On a relatively calm sunny day the swell in the sea still resulted in what looked to be strong waves coming over the outer boundary wall.”