What should visitors to Puerto del Carmen watch for when swimming?

Los Pocillos lies in the municipality of Tías and is part of the resort of Puerto del Carmen. The information available shows no new rules for bathers.

Prevention groups advise bathers to follow signs and flag colours; this is not an official protocol. When there is an advance warning or an alert for poor sea conditions, bathers should keep away from the water and the coast.

These groups also say children should always be supervised. The Spanish lifeguard federation RFESS blames mainly a lack of prevention, because many people see the water as a familiar, safe place.

What happened at Los Pocillos beach?

According to Gazette Life, lifeguards told the emergency line at 12:15 that they had rescued a woman showing signs of drowning. They were already giving first aid.

Local police and two ambulances arrived at the beach. Once the crews found her stable, the woman went to Hospital Doctor José Molina Orosa in Arrecife.

In July 2026 a different incident took place on the same beach, when a 70-year-old woman was pulled from the water in the afternoon. The emergency coordination centre CECOES 112 sent two ambulances, while the Guardia Civil and local police opened proceedings.

Paramedics stabilised the 70-year-old on the beach and took her to the same hospital in a moderate condition. The two cases differ in day, time, age and the services involved.

What is known about Los Pocillos beach?

According to the state tourism body Turespaña, Los Pocillos is about 1,230 metres long and on average about 150 metres wide, with white sand in the middle of the town. The site describes calm conditions and a steady breeze.

Turespaña lists sunbed and parasol hire, water sports equipment, showers, toilets and a Red Cross (Cruz Roja) post. A Blue Flag certificate is shown, but without an award year, so the current award is not confirmed.

The page gives neither opening hours nor staff numbers for the lifeguards. It also says nothing about who runs the service or what it costs.

How many people drown in the Canary Islands?

The association “Canarias, 1.500 Km de Costa” counts 71 drowning deaths in 2023, 72 in 2024 and 69 in 2025, a fall of 4%. For the decade 2015 to 2025 it gives 734 deaths.

In 2025, 241 bathers were injured, the association says, 55 more than in 2024 (up 30%). Critical cases rose from 9 to 16, and serious ones from 15 to 25.

Of the 2025 victims, 74% were men and 30% were over 60. Among the identified victims were 17 foreigners, and four of the dead were minors, the highest figure in ten years.

In 32 of the 69 cases, or 46%, the victim entered the water or went near the coast despite an advance warning or an alert for poor sea conditions. Deaths were concentrated on rocky coastline.

According to the 2025 accident atlas “X Mapa de Accidentes Acuáticos”, Tenerife topped the list for the first time with 24 deaths, while Gran Canaria recorded 18. Lanzarote had 13 deaths and 37 victims in total.

What is still unknown about the rescue?

So far, the 7 November rescue rests on Gazette Life alone. No official statement could be found by 8 November.

Still unknown are the woman's identity, age and nationality, the flag colour and sea state, and her condition after admission to hospital. It is not confirmed whether the lifeguards belong to the town council (Ayuntamiento) of Tías.

For comparisons, note that RFESS counted 63 deaths in the Canary Islands for 2024, while “Canarias, 1.500 Km de Costa” counted 72. The two counts cannot be mixed.

No body has announced further steps so far. New details would most likely come from the emergency coordination centre or the Tías town council.