An Irishman has drowned in front of his wife on the island of Tenerife in the Canaries.
Police, paramedics and coastguards attempted to rescue Patrick O’Reilly (38) from Dublin after he got into difficulties as he swam in the resort of Callao Salvaje near the popular Playa de Las Americas, writes Gerard Couzens.
The incident happened at about 4.30pm on St Stephen’s Day. His 41-year-old wife suffered a panic attack as she stood helplessly at the shoreline.
A coastguard helicopter located Mr O’Reilly and pulled him from the sea minutes after being mobilised. However, he was already dead by the time they winched him into the aircraft.
A spokesman for the island’s police, the Civil Guard, said: “We won’t know for sure until after the autopsy. But everything at this stage is pointing towards the victim drowning in a tragic accident.”
Mr O’Reilly was on holidays with his wife and their two children at the time of the incident.