A freak ‘meteo tsunami’ has killed one person and left dozens more injured with footage showing panicked tourists fleeing as waves engulfed a beach in Argentina.
In a dramatic clip filmed on Monday afternoon in the coastal town of Santa Clara del Mar, rapid surges of water can be seen sweeping across a packed beach as people scramble out of the water to seek safety on the sand.
Although the footage did not capture the giant main wave, eyewitnesses told local media that the water rose to around 30ft before striking several beachgoers.
A 29-year-old man, who was in Argentina visiting family at the time, was killed after being swept out to sea and crashing head-first into rocks.
When the waves had settled, lifeguards rushed out into the water in an attempt to perform CPR, but were tragically unable to save his life.
Another man suffered a heart attack after being dragged into the water, and at least 35 people were left with injuries, as per Diario de Cuyo.
The freak killer wave is believed to have been a meteo tsunami, which often behaves in this manner: The sea draws back first, as many witnesses reported seeing on Monday, before fast-rising, high-energy surges roll in due to sudden atmospheric pressure drops from weather systems.
‘It’s an unpredictable event; we don’t know if it could happen again,’ Fabián García, head of Civil Defense for the province of Buenos Aires, said.
Lifeguard union head Nahuel Nardone said the waves reached ‘unimaginable heights,’ affecting people who were resting, sunbathing, or cooling off in the water.
He stressed the phenomenon is highly unusual for the region, calling it a kind of ‘mini tsunami’ driven not by an earthquake, but by sudden changes in atmospheric pressure and strong winds.
Those on the beach told local media of the chaos and desperation, as the water surges swept away bags, umbrellas, and beach chairs, forcing people to help each other to avoid being dragged out to sea.
‘A black whirlpool formed; I’ve never seen anything like it,’ a lifeguard told the Argentinian newspaper, describing the impact of the wave.
Another recalled the sea abruptly receding moments before a towering wave, described as ‘like a wall,’ came crashing ashore.
García detailed that the water behaviour affected various towns, including Mar Chiquita, Santa Clara del Mar, and Mar del Plata.
A precautionary evacuation of all beaches in the area was ordered while emergency teams visited health centers to assess the condition of the injured.
Experts agreed that Monday’s wave was a random episode, mainly concentrated in Mar Chiquita.
But flash floods were also recorded in Mar del Plata, where lifeguards had to carry out rescues after observing water levels rise from waist to neck in a matter of seconds.
