The Marella Explorer 2 alerted nearby ships to help search (Picture: Solar Pix)

A search is underway for a British tourist who reportedly fell from a TUI-operated cruise ship north of the Canary Islands.

Today,Spanish authorities confirmed the man who went overboard was a 76-year-old from the ‘British Isles’.

A coastguard spokesman said: ‘It has been confirmed he went overboard and is aged 76. The search for him started yesterday and is continuing today. The search was relaunched at first light this morning.’

The alarm was sounded yesterday morning as the 14-deck vessel headed to the Canaries from Madeira,and the ship’s captain slowed it to a near-stop before activating ‘protocol procedures’.

These include reviewing cameras,launching marker buoys and conducting circular search manoeuvres.

Tenerife daily El Dia said the incident happened when the cruise liner was around 16 nautical miles from Punta de Teno.

Spanish coastguards,who have yet to make any official comment,are said to have mobilised two of their specialist rescue vessels as part of a sea search supported from the air by an emergency helicopter.

The Spanish Coast Guard has launched a search (Picture: Solar Pix)

Local reports said a German-flagged yacht had also answered the SOS call.

Local paper Voz Populi said yesterday: ‘There is no record at this time that the passenger has been located.

‘The operation remains open,and the authorities have not yet provided the identity,nationality or circumstances of the fall,which is customary in initial investigations of incidents on cruise ships.’

Metro has contacted TUI for an update on the situation.

The ship’s current position is showing up as the Tenerife capital,Santa Cruz,where it arrived early this morning.

It left Tenerife on November 21 for a seven-day Canarian Flavours tour with scheduled stops in Gran Canaria,Lanzarote,Fuerteventura,Madeira and La Gomera.