On Thursday, 22 October, a wave broke over the promenade in Ondarroa during the Euskadi Quédate broadcast and struck reporter Sergio Ovejero and his cameraman, interrupting the link.
Focus reported that both crew members were confirmed unharmed, though soaked, and El País cited local media saying they were fine.
AEMET and Euskalmet issued orange warnings for Friday, 23 October, for coasts including Galicia and Asturias, as Storm Austen approached northern Spain.
On Thursday, 22 October, the ETB programme Euskadi Quédate ran a live link from Ondarroa, a fishing town on the Bizkaia coast, where reporter Sergio Ovejero was covering a storm with his cameraman. According to El País, authorities had warned of waves above five metres, strong winds, and spray and wave impact on promenades and breakwaters. During the report a wave rose over the breakwater, cleared the protective wall and struck the two crew members. The picture shook, filled with water and foam, and the link dropped for a few moments before the studio came back on screen.
Presenter Odei Esnaola Ugalde watched the images in the studio in stunned silence, according to in.gr, and then spoke about his colleagues. Focus places that studio in Bilbao.
“Well, let us hope our colleague is all right.”
Local media cited by El País said Ovejero and his cameraman were fine. Focus reported that both had been confirmed unharmed, though completely soaked and visibly shaken, and that the broadcast then continued as if nothing had happened.
Ovejero later replied on social media to a user who asked why reporters take such risks. He wrote that the crew had been caught by surprise: there had been no yellow warning, the waves were not large and the spot had not been closed. He added that tourists and other people nearby were taking photographs because the place seemed safe, and that his team had worked in such conditions for years, always with care. NewsIT, however, reported that a yellow warning for heavy swell was in force at the time of the link and that conditions were expected to worsen. The reporting does not reconcile these two accounts.
Focus reported that the state weather agency AEMET and the Basque weather service Euskalmet had issued orange warnings for Friday, 23 October, for coasts including Galicia and Asturias. The same outlet said Storm Austen, the first named storm depression of the season, was approaching northern Spain with high intensity. Focus also reported that yellow warnings in the Ondarroa area were due to be raised to orange.
Focus reported that many viewers were shocked and criticised the crew for walking into the danger they had been warning others about. One commenter wrote that it is impossible to warn people about risky situations all day and then step right into one. Others called the footage spectacular but said such assignments carry an unnecessary risk. The clip spread online well beyond Spain.
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Reporter Sergio Ovejero and his cameraman were struck by a wave on the Ondarroa promenade while on air for ETB on Thursday, 22 October. Both were later reported unharmed, though soaked.
AI text based on reports by Adnkronos, EL PAÍS, in.gr and other publishers. Published .