Kai Barrington, 42, and 39-year-old Sarah Jellard shared their experience of watching as massive waves smashed into Tenerife and pulled several people out to sea
09:25, 25 Dec 2025Updated 11:53, 25 Dec 2025
Kai Barrington and Sarah Jellard were at the site of the incident(Image: PA)
A family has issued a warning to visitors to the Canary Islands and shared dangers about the natural pools after narrowly escaping drowning.
Four people were killed and one person remains missing after huge waves struck a man-made natural pool in Los Gigantes, located on Tenerife’s west coast, on December 7. Kai Barrington, 42, and Sarah Jellard, 39, both from Devon, were on holiday on the island along with their 20-month-old baby.
The family visited the tourist hotspot on the same day of the horrible accident. At about 4pm, Kai entered the water which was filled with other tourists while Sarah and her toddler sat higher up.
Kai Barrington and Sarah Jellard witnessed the huge waves on the Spanish island (Image: PA)READ MORE: ‘World’s best winter sun destination’ has 25C weather and £2.25 pintsREAD MORE: Brits can currently get up to £500 off all-inclusive holidays to the Canary Islands
But just moments later, a huge series of large waves smashed against the shore and engulfed the pool – taking a dozen swimmers with it. Experienced surfer Kai, stayed under the wave and clung onto the bottom of the pool, which he claimed saved his life.
“Because I was in a sea pool as the waves were crashing over and I being tumbled around a bit, I didn’t really think anything of it,” the 42-year-old explained, the Manchester Evening News said. “It’s a scenario I’m used to and comfortable with.
“It was really only when I’d come up, I think maybe the second time after one of the big waves had hit, and I was holding onto the bottom with my fingertips, that I realised I was being pulled over the edge. I saw two people to the left of me get pulled over the side.”
Sarah noticed Kai was struggling in the water and saw waves surround him as others were pulled away into the ocean. “I started looking out to sea, looking out for Kai and it’s the most helpless situation you can ever be in because there’s nothing you can do,” she said.
Multiple people were swept away by waves (Image: PA)
“There’s no ropes around you, there’s nothing, emergency services have been called, there’s nothing you can do but just watch your loved one in the sea. I then watched someone swim, I didn’t know who it was because I couldn’t (see) at such a distance. I watched them drown. I saw them swim and take their last stroke, and then not take another one.”
A major rescue operation was launched that ended up leading to the discovery of the bodies of a 35-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman as well as another body of a man about no other information was given. A woman, who had been airlifted to hospital, died the following day and a fifth person has not yet been located.
Kai was taken to hospital before being released. The Canary Islands, located off the north-west of Africa, has many natural pool rocks, some of which are accessible to swimmers.