British tourists tumultuous Teide trip is saved by good Samaritans

Paul and Ann Beardmore, a 66-year-old retired British couple from Derbyshire, have come to appreciate Tenerife as their favourite holiday destination, and this is their fourth visit to the island since March last year. Not ones to simply relax on the beach, despite Ann's disability, they have explored the island extensively, making use of both hire cars and, where possible, a mobility scooter.

However, yesterday (Tuesday) they had a harrowing experience while venturing out to Mount Teide, as their trip took an unexpected turn when they encountered a perilous situation on the TF-21 mountain road, far from anywhere.

In the middle of nowhere, near the kilometre 13 marker on the way to Teide National Park, the Beardmores' peaceful drive suddenly turned chaotic. A series of loud bangs echoed through their vehicle, prompting Paul to tighten his grip on the steering wheel, and with remarkable composure, he managed to bring their car to a halt without going off the road.

The damage to the vehicle was evident: a shredded front right tyre, dents on the passenger doors, and, later discovered, further damage underneath the car, all caused by a serious of large rocks that had tumbled onto the road. Paul, bewildered but unscathed, looked back to see the source of their trouble, a rockfall from the hillside.

Stranded in an area with no phone signal or internet, they faced an uncertain situation. Undeterred, they decided to flag down passing motorists, and their story took an unexpected turn.

Their gratitude extends to two remarkable couples who came to their aid during this ordeal. First, a German couple stopped to assist after Paul explained their predicament. The compassionate strangers offered to contact the car hire company when they could get a phone signal on their way down the mountain, and continued on their way.

Despite an hour passing without any contact, hope was not lost. Paul spotted a group of people at a nearby viewpoint and made his way towards them. Although language barriers existed, Paul conveyed his situation as best he could to a Spanish couple, To their credit, they understood the urgency and promised to go to the nearest village to alert the Guardia Civil. Remarkably, they even returned to the Beardmores to reassure them that they had made the call.

Approximately twenty minutes later, the Guardia Civil arrived at the scene with two traffic officers, one of whom spoke excellent English. They efficiently resolved the situation, escorting the Beardmores in their police car to the Parador Restaurant where they had to fill in a police report and check their passports and driving licences.

In the meantime, Pual noticed he had a phone signal again and saw a message from the car hire company's office saying that a German couple had contacted them and told them they needed help, and that a company representative was en route to assist them. Shortly after, the Beardmores were safely on their way back to their hotel in Los Cristianos with the driver from Sanasty rent-a-car.

The Beardmores have said that this heartwarming experience has reaffirmed their faith in human kindness when least expected. The German couple kept their promise by contacting the car hire company, the Spanish couple went out of their way to seek help from the police and come back to reassure the stranded tourists, Andrew and Lisa from Sanasty Rent a Car, and the Guardia Civil officers who dealt with everything.

While their visit to Mount Teide may not have gone as planned, it will undoubtedly be remembered as an extraordinary journey filled with the kindness of strangers, especially as they did get to see Teide even if it was from the back of a police car!