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A major search and rescue operation is underway off the west coast of Tenerife after a 76-year-old British passenger fell overboard from a TUI cruise ship on Thursday morning, November 27. The man disappeared from the Marella Explorer 2 while the vessel was sailing approximately 16.5 miles northwest of Punta Teno.

 

The ship issued a ‘Man Overboard’ alert at 9.48am, immediately triggering a coordinated response from the Tenerife Rescue Centre and the Guardia Civil. Multiple resources were deployed including the Helimer 201 helicopter, rescue vessels Salvamar Menkalinan and Salvamar Mizar, and the Sasemar 103 aircraft.

 

Search efforts continued into Friday morning with the Helimer 201 helicopter alternating with the Guardia Civil's Cuco helicopter. The patrol boat Río Guadiato, which travelled from La Palma, has also joined the operation.

 

The Marella Explorer 2 itself has been docked in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife since 2.40am.

The circumstances surrounding how the passenger ended up overboard remain unclear and rescue teams are continuing their efforts to locate him.

 

A spokesperson for Marella Cruises, which is part of the TUI Group, said: "We are deeply saddened to confirm that a guest was seen entering the water while the ship was on passage to La Gomera. Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time."

 

The Malta-flagged ship, which has 14 decks, had set off from Tenerife on November 21 on a week-long voyage around the Canary Islands. The itinerary included port calls at Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Madeira and La Gomera.

 

This latest incident follows another recent tragedy in Spanish waters involving a British national. Just last week, a 67-year-old tourist lost his life when his vehicle went into the sea as he was leaving a ferry at Menorca. The accident took place at Ciutadella's commercial port, seconds after the car had driven off the Margarita Salas de Baleària ferry that runs between Alcúdia and Barcelona.

 

Image: TUI