Malcolm Timbrell, 70, managed to survive the wildfires in Bedar, Almeria by taking refuge in an abandoned car with his cat but his wife and their friends remain missing
A British pensioner who fears his wife, friends and neighbours perished in the Spanish wildfires has shared his final interaction with them before they went missing.
Malcolm Timbrell, 70, became separated from his wife Annette Kilgore, 69, and the rest of their group as flames tore through their home village of Bedar, in Almeria province, on Thursday.
Mr Timbrell and Ms Kilgore had relocated to Bedar after featuring on the Channel 4 programme A Place in the Sun, which first introduced them to the property. The couple had planned to escape by car, but Mr Timbrell turned back to retrieve their two cats. When he attempted to rejoin the group, he discovered they had abandoned their vehicles and were attempting to outrun the blaze on foot.
He told the BBC: “My wife and our other seven friends and neighbours – against me screaming at them not to – decided the only safe way was to walk out in front of the firewall. I’ve subsequently heard that that firewall was moving at 20 kilometres per hour, plus. They had no chance.”
Mr Timbrell said he and one of the cats managed to escape the flames by moving between abandoned vehicles before each one was engulfed by the fire.
A 93 year old British woman has been confirmed as one of at least 13 people who have lost their lives as catastrophic wildfires ripped through southern Spain.
The Andalusian government confirmed that the 93 year old was rushed to hospital on Friday having sustained burns to approximately 20% of her body, with her death confirmed on Sunday afternoon. At least four more of the deceased are believed to be British, after four bodies were discovered in a burnt-out car with its steering wheel on the right-hand side.
On Sunday, reports emerged that two British hikers had been found alive but with severe burns.
The man and woman are believed to have sustained burns to 40% of their bodies, according to Spanish national broadcaster RTVE. The pair were located by a Civil Guard team, who revealed they had already searched the area but had a gut feeling they needed to return.
Speaking to RTVE, the Civil Guard officers recounted finding the two British survivors just as darkness was setting in. Sergeant Pedro Barre told the broadcaster: “That experience we accumulate over the years is what tells you: take another look, give it one last try, check again just in case.”
The couple are currently said to be in a serious condition in hospital, though their lives are not thought to be at risk.
Spanish authorities believe all the victims were foreign tourists, who are thought to have attempted to flee on foot after abandoning their vehicles and trying to navigate through treacherous terrain.
Antonio Sanz, head of Andalusia’s emergency services, confirmed that post-mortem examinations had been carried out and DNA samples collected to help identify the victims.
Spain has endured increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves in recent years, with temperatures regularly soaring above 40C. During June, Spain endured a prolonged period of record-breaking temperatures, with over 1,000 excess deaths linked to the extreme heat.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the devastating wildfires in Spain. We are supporting British nationals affected and their families and remain in close contact with the Spanish authorities.”
