British Pensioner Killed in Canary Islands Bus Crash Described as 'Horror Movie'
Survivors of a devastating bus crash in the Canary Islands that claimed the life of a British pensioner have likened the horrific scene to something straight out of a horror movie, with passengers left dangling upside down by their seatbelts after the vehicle plummeted down a ravine.
Catastrophic Plunge on La Gomera
The packed tourist bus veered off a winding road on the island of La Gomera on Friday afternoon, tumbling approximately 100 feet down a steep ravine. The catastrophic incident resulted in the death of a 77-year-old British man and left twenty-seven others injured, including two British men aged 73 and 42 who sustained severe multiple injuries.
All survivors, which included three minors, have now been discharged from hospital and are receiving ongoing support from consular officials and trauma experts stationed at the island's Bancal Hotel & Spa.
'Time Slowed Down' During Terrifying Ordeal
One British couple staying at the hotel, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the terrifying moments, stating the crash felt like 'something out of a horror movie.' They described a surreal sensation where 'time slowed down' as the bus went 'head over heels twice' before coming to a violent stop.
The couple emphasised that wearing seatbelts likely saved their lives, but they were left horrifically suspended upside down from their seats when the vehicle finally settled. Other survivors of the crash, which saw the bus fall about 50 feet onto rocks, uniformly described the experience as profoundly 'traumatising and terrifying.'
Miracle Survival and Ongoing Investigation
One survivor told a hotel guest it was nothing short of a 'miracle' that they survived, while another chillingly added, 'We thought we were all going to die.' The passengers were en route to the port at San Sebastian de La Gomera to catch a ferry to Tenerife for their return flights to Britain when the tragedy struck.
Investigations into the cause are ongoing, with initial indications pointing towards a potential brake failure. Spanish police are examining the coach's 'black box' recorder but have been unable to interview the driver, a local man believed to be in his fifties, who suffered serious injuries and is being treated in a hospital on Tenerife.
Official Account and Previous Incident
Juan Luis Navarro, the Spanish government's representative on the Canary Islands, stated the driver 'tried to fight' from the moment he detected the brake failure. The Civil Guard has begun interviewing passengers, though Navarro noted 'not all the passengers are in the same position to collaborate.'
He described a rollover event where the bus rolled 'two or three times' before coming to rest on its side down the slope. Navarro also stressed the importance of interviewing the widow of the deceased British man, who was seated beside him during the crash and only learned of his death in hospital.
La Gomera Tours, the bus operator, insisted all its vehicles were 'up to date' with inspections and was unaware of any prior complaints about that stretch of road, noting the driver was experienced and travelled the route daily. However, this is not an isolated incident on that road; last year, a 73-year-old Spanish woman was killed and eleven others injured when a public bus overturned at the same location.
