A Spanish television reporter got a front-row seat to the storm he was covering when a massive wave crashed over a sea wall and slammed him and his camera mid-sentence during a live broadcast Thursday.
Sergio Ovejero, reporting for Basque public channel ETB2’s “Euskadi Quédate,” was standing on the promenade in Ondarroa, a coastal town in Spain’s Basque Country, describing how northeast winds were whipping up increasingly rough seas. Waves were already topping the breakwater, a yellow alert was in effect for navigation risks near shore (with an orange alert expected later), and officials were warning pedestrians about slippery, water-soaked walkways.
Then nature stole the show.
As Ovejero spoke into his blue microphone, clad in a gray cardigan over a white T-shirt, a powerful surge exploded over the wall behind him. The camera lurched violently, the frame filled with white water and spray, and the live signal briefly dropped, leaving viewers with a glimpse of foam-swept pavement before cutting back to the studio.
The host, visibly stunned, immediately checked in on his team: “Well, let’s hope our colleague Sergio and Raquel are okay. We’ll update you right away.”
Both Ovejero and camerawoman Raquel walked away unharmed, though thoroughly soaked. The dramatic clip quickly spread online, turning the weather report into one of the day’s most-watched viral moments.
Ovejero later pushed back on social media against suggestions the crew had been reckless. He said the conditions had seemed safe enough at the time, the promenade wasn’t closed, tourists were still out taking photos, and the yellow alert hadn’t fully kicked in with the intensity that eventually arrived. “It surprised all of us,” he wrote. “We’ve been doing this for years and always with caution. Today nature got ahead of the news.”
The incident served as an unplanned, high-impact illustration of the high risks the broadcast was warning about as rough seas continued to batter Spain’s northern coast.
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