Child critically injured in hotel, another minor dead, and 20 drownings reported this year
Fuerteventura already records three drowning deaths this year, after a Holy Week that left the Canary Islands with four serious accidents: a teenage tourist dead in Mogán, a child in critical condition in Pájara, another minor with light injuries, and a woman evacuated in critical condition. The archipelago has now reached twenty drowning deaths in 2026.
Overview of Holy Week Water Incidents
The aquatic incidents that occurred during Holy Week 2026 in the Canary Islands involved minors as the main victims. The report from “Canarias, 1500 km de Costa” counts four affected people across three islands between Friday 27 March and Sunday 5 April: one minor dead, a child in serious condition, another minor with light injuries, and a woman evacuated in critical condition.
One of the most serious cases happened on Fuerteventura, where a two‑year‑old British boy was rescued in critical condition from the pool of a hotel complex in Pájara. His current condition has not yet been disclosed. The episode adds to the six drowning deaths recorded on the island last year and the three additional deaths recorded in the first quarter of 2026, according to data released by the Association for the Prevention of Drownings.
The Young Rebeca Returns to Norway in a Coffin
The only fatal victim of this Holy Week was Rebeca, a 15‑year‑old Norwegian teenager, who died on the coast of Mogán in southern Gran Canaria while on vacation with her family. According to EFE and other island media, her lifeless body was found floating 100–200 m from the shore on Saturday 28 March, after her mother had reported her disappearance, prompting a police and judicial investigation.
“The case of the young tourist is the first minor fatality by submersion (complete drowning) this year in the Canary Islands,” the association noted.
The remainder of the tally includes a 14‑year‑old surfer who received treatment for mild symptoms on the coast of Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) and a 70‑year‑old woman evacuated in critical condition from the same municipality by a SUC helicopter.
The Work of “Canarias, 1500 km de Costa” Is Commendable
The collective monitors incidents based on media reports and official statements from authorities. Despite having produced ten annual reports, there is still no official drowning registry nor a risk‑area‑based plan to guide authorities toward decisive measures.
Excluding Holy Week, 95 % of the 19 people who died by submersion in the first three months of 2026 entered the sea during pre‑alert or alert periods declared by the Canary Government because of adverse coastal conditions, the platform highlighted in a previous note.
The start of the year has also been marked by poor weather, with a high proportion of victims not swimming but being swept into the water by strong waves.
“A large part of aquatic accidents is linked to the imprudence of the victims themselves,” says Sebastián Quintana, spokesperson for the platform. “Nevertheless, many incidents occur at beaches and pools that either lack lifeguard services or should have them.”
Evolution of Drownings During Holy Week
Comparisons with previous years show similar figures across the archipelago:
| Year | Affected (including fatalities) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 (including one minor fatality) |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2022 | 8 (one fatality) |
The association compiles these balances from official emergency sources such as 112 Canarias, Guardia Civil, Policía Nacional, Salvamento Marítimo, Bomberos, and Protección Civil.
Fuerteventura Among the Islands with Most Deaths in 2026
In the first quarter of 2026, the Association for the Prevention of Drownings recorded 19 drowning deaths across the Canary Islands and a total of 50 people affected in aquatic accidents. Within that tally, Fuerteventura registered three deaths, matching Gran Canaria and El Hierro, and trailing Tenerife, which recorded eight.
Fuerteventura Recorded Six of the 69 Drownings in the Canary Islands in 2025
For the full year 2025, Fuerteventura logged 28 people affected in aquatic incidents, six of whom died, according to the tenth edition of the Map of Aquatic Accidents compiled by Canarias, 1500 km de Costa.
The island’s balance also includes 17 injured of varying severity and five rescues, spread across 22 beaches and coastal points in four municipalities. Across the entire archipelago, 2025 closed with 69 drowning deaths and 241 people affected.
Collaborating Entities in Drowning Investigations
The Association for the Prevention of Drownings – Canarias, 1500 km de Costa acknowledges the support of several institutions:
- Cabildo de Gran Canaria (sponsorship)
- Elder Museum of Science and Technology
- Ministry of Territorial Policy, Cohesion and Water (Canary Government)
- Vice‑Ministry of Physical Activity and Sports (Education Ministry, Canary Government)
- Tourism and City‑Sea Councils of the Las Palmas City Council
- Binter (airline partner)
These collaborations help the association gather data, raise awareness, and promote preventive measures against future drownings.