A TOURIST has vanished from a luxury cruise as frantic sea search launched near Canary Islands.
Spanish coastguards and police are scouring waters north of Tenerife after the Marella Explorer 2 issued a “Man Overboard” alert and halted to carry out emergency search procedures.
Rescue boats, a helicopter and nearby vessels joined the ongoing operation.
The alarm was first sounded yesterday morning as the 14-deck vessel headed to the Canaries from Madeira.
It has been reported that the ship’s captain slowed to a near-stop before activating “protocol procedures”.
These include reviewing camera footage, launching marker buoys and conducting circular search manoeuvres.
Local media reports in Tenerife indicate that the incident occurred when the cruise liner was around 16 miles from Punta de Teno.
Other reports say that a German-flagged yacht also answered the distress call.
Authorities yet to confirm the tourist’s identity or how the fall occurred.
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