- The violent scenes that occurred on the beach of Los Abrigos, to the shock of the families
A pickpocket faced instant revenge after trying to steal a tourist’s wallet on a beach in Tenerife, local media reports, with dramatic footage showing the brutal retaliation of the would-be robbery victim.
Tourists were left stunned as the man launched a relentless attack on the alleged thief, brutally beating him with a stick.
The attacker, who is said to have been speaking English, is seen chasing the topless man to shore as he stumbles backwards on rocks.
He tries to get up several times, but falls back to the ground as the furious man launches a volley of blows at him.
The violent scenes occurred on Los Abrigos beach on the southern coast of the tourist island, in front of shocked families, while parents were seen leading their children away from the chaos.
Tourists were left stunned as the man launched a relentless attack on the alleged thief, brutally beating him with a stick.
Video footage shows the attacker chasing the topless man to the shore and into the sea.
A picture circulating online shows the suspected robber’s back covered in cuts after the attack.
While the alleged robbery was not caught on camera, immediate footage shows the man who was attacked taking the law into his own hands.
He is heard yelling at the other man, who is only wearing a bathing suit, and begins to hit him with all his strength with the stick.
His victim is seen falling to the ground and rolling backwards over the rocks as he tries to escape.
But the attacker continues mercilessly, hitting him repeatedly while running after him to the sea.
In a desperate attempt to avoid being hit, the man wades several metres into the water.
The attacker is not intimidated and enters the water, even though he is fully clothed.
He continues to beat him, even hitting him on the head, causing serious injuries.
Parents are seen dragging their children as a violent fight takes place in front of them.
Children are seen splashing in the sea as the attack begins, before being dragged away by their parents who were trying to enjoy a day at the beach.
The weapon used by the man appeared to be the pole of an umbrella, according to Canarian weekly.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the attack was prompted by the victim’s attempt to steal the attacker’s wallet, the outlet reports.
The video went viral online and a Facebook group shared images of the victim’s injuries..
Cuts are visible on the man’s back where he was hit, and he appears to have been assisted by rescuers, who can be heard whistling at the end of the video.