British man, 76, missing after falling from cruise ship off Tenerife coast

The man, 76, reportedly fell from the 14-deck Marella Explorer 2 on Thursday morning.

The coast guard said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Tenerife was alerted to reports of a man overboard at 9.48am local time on Thursday.

"We are deeply saddened to confirm that a guest was seen entering the water while the ship was on passage to La Gomera. Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time.

"Our dedicated care team is supporting the family, providing assistance and comfort.

"We are working closely with local authorities and will continue to offer every possible support," Marella Cruises said in a statement.

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A maritime and air search operation involving the Helimer 201 helicopter, Salvamar Menkalinan and Salvamar Mizar vessels and the Sasemar 103 aircraft, has now been launched.

A coastguard spokesperson said that they didn't yet have details about how the man went overboard.

They said: "Today, November 28, the search resumed early in the morning with the Helimer 201 helicopter, which will take turns with the Civil Guard's Cuco helicopter.

"In addition, the Río Guadiato patrol boat from La Palma has joined the search.'The Tenerife Maritime Rescue Centre is coordinating the search operation in collaboration with the Civil Guard.

"At 02.40am (Canary Islands time), the Marella Explorer 2 docked at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife."

The ship departed Tenerife on November 21 for a seven-day Canarian Flavours tour, with stops scheduled at Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Madeira and La Gomera.