A team of professional divers have been searching the waters off Charco del Viento, located in the Tenerife municipality of La Guancha, where 15-year-old Polish boy Arek disappeared 20 days ago. The search operation was announced today, Wednesday, by the association “Canarias, 1,500 km de costa.”
Arek is one of three minors still missing in Canary Islands waters, according to the association. It also stated that another search operation is being planned, pending an improvement in weather conditions, as the area is currently experiencing a pre-alert with waves reaching up to four metres high in the north of the island.
The other two missing boys, Yassine and Alejandro, were swept into the ocean by a powerful wave a year ago while fishing in the El Confital area of Gran Canaria, and have never been seen again.
Challenging Search Conditions
The search for Arek involved scuba divers and freedivers Miguel Ángel Pérez and Adrián Gos, accompanied by psychologist and lifeguard Teresa Martínez, who has been supporting the boy’s family.
For approximately two hours, the team conducted freediving searches, scouring caves, ridges, and lava tubes in what is described as a seabed with thousands of crevices, making it extremely challenging due to the difficult sea conditions.
Arek disappeared at around 11:30am on Saturday 22nd February, while looking for crabs and shells with his seven-year-old sister. A large wave dragged them both out to sea as they stood in the natural pool at Charco del Viento.
The children’s father jumped into the water to rescue them, managing to grab his daughter’s arm, but Arek was pulled away by the powerful currents of the rough coastline, which is full of rocks and outcrops.
Arek and his family had travelled to Tenerife for a holiday, unaware that a pre-alert for dangerous coastal conditions had been issued across the region that day, warning of waves up to four metres high.
Family’s Plea for Continued Search
The family have received support from psychologists Teresa Martínez and Karolina Walczyk, provided through the Canary Islands Government’s Directorate of Emergencies, alongside translator Pedro de Gracia.
Despite extensive searches, no trace of Arek was found. Days later, his mother, Kasia, contacted the association ‘Canarias, 1,500 Km de Costa’ to request that the search for her son not be abandoned.
The family has since returned to Poland, where they have expressed their gratitude to all emergency, rescue, and medical teams involved. They have also pleaded for the search to continue, as they are determined to “bring him home.”
The association has confirmed that it will continue assisting with the search once the coastal pre-alert has been lifted.
