Two British women drown in sea off holiday island of Tenerife

Updated
Tenerife beach
Tenerife beach


Two British women have drowned in the sea off the island of Tenerife while on holiday.

The women were trying to rescue their children who were swept away by a wave.

Emergency services were alerted when the women and children were seen getting into difficulty in the water off the coast of Playa Paraiso at the southwest of the island.

Tourists Barathi Ruvijumar, 39, and Uma Ramalingam, 42, were pronounced dead at the scene, reports the Telegraph.

The two children, aged 10 and 14 survived, along with a third woman, aged 38, who has not yet been named. The third woman is in a "very serious" condition in hospital, reports the Mirror.

The 10-year-old boy was taken to hospital with hypothermia while the second child was treated for minor bruising..

According to the Mirror, locals and tourists helped drag four of the people involved in the tragedy out of the water and a helicopter rescued the fifth.

The incident happened on Sunday evening as the five holidaymakers enjoyed a day on the quiet resort beach.

A police source confirmed that the two women who were killed in the tragic incident were British. It is not yet know where in the UK the women are from.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of reports of an incident in Tenerife and we are in touch with the local authorities and providing consular assistance."

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