Search Ongoing for British Man Overboard Near Tenerife

A 76-year-old British passenger fell overboard from the adults-only cruise ship Marella Explorer 2 early Thursday morning, prompting an extensive search operation in the waters northwest of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.

The incident occurred around 9:48 a.m. local time, when the vessel was approximately 16.5 nautical miles northwest of Punta Teno, the island's northwestern tip. The ship, operated by Marella Cruises under Tui UK, was en route from Madeira to La Gomera as part of a seven-day Canarian Flavours itinerary that began in Tenerife on November 21. The tour includes scheduled stops at Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and other ports in the archipelago off northwest Africa.

According to local authorities, the coastguard received an alert from the ship and immediately launched a maritime and aerial response. The operation involves helicopters, two specialized rescue vessels including the Tenerife-based Salvamar Menkalinan, an aircraft, and the patrol boat Rio Guadiato from La Palma. A German-flagged yacht in the area also responded to the distress call, joining the effort. The search, which paused overnight, resumed Friday morning and remains active, with no...