Italian Tourist Dies Following Paragliding Accident in Tenerife
A 28-year-old Italian woman has died following a tandem paragliding accident in Tenerife, prompting renewed calls for stricter safety regulations in the Canary Islands' adventure tourism sector.
The death of 28-year-old Cristina Colturi, an Italian resident who had lived in Tenerife for a year, has renewed concerns about safety standards for adventure tourism in the Canary Islands. Local media reported that the young woman passed away last Sunday at the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria University Hospital, two days after a tandem paragliding accident in Costa Adeje.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Friday, March 6, near La Enramada beach, a common landing spot for local paragliding operators. Emergency services were alerted at 5:20 p.m. after the pair crashed into a rocky area. A beach lifeguard performed life-saving resuscitation on the victim after she went into cardiorespiratory arrest. She was later transported to the hospital by a medicalized ambulance with severe injuries.
The instructor who was flying with her also sustained moderate injuries and was taken to the Hospital del Sur for treatment.
This tragedy has sparked a fresh debate regarding the regulation and oversight of adventure sports in the Canary Islands. While these activities are a key part of the region's tourism industry, they require strict adherence to safety protocols. An investigation is now underway to determine whether the crash was caused by human error or technical failure, highlighting the ongoing need for rigorous safety standards in high-risk leisure activities.