Search for British man who fell from cruise ship off Tenerife coast

A search is under way for a British man who fell overboard from a cruise ship off the coast of Tenerife.

The Spanish coastguard said it had been coordinating search and rescue efforts for the 76-year-old since 09:48 local time (09:48 GMT) on Thursday.

The incident happened on the Marella Explorer 2, operated by TUI, while it was located just north-west of the Spanish island.

Marella Cruises said the man was "seen entering the water while the ship was on passage to La Gomera", adding that it was supporting his family and working with local authorities.

In a statement, the coastguard said the ship participated in the search before docking in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the early hours of Friday.

Local media reports say the ship was on its way to the Canary Islands from the Portuguese island of Madeira when the incident happened.

The BBC has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.

The Malta-registered Marella Explorer 2 holds up to 1814 passengers across its 14 decks and 907 cabins, according to TUI's website.