RESCUERS attempting to save a toddler who was trapped in a well in Spain have revealed they have recovered his body.
The boy, named Julen, became trapped after falling into the narrow 100m borehole near Malaga during a family outing on January 13.
Authorities dug a tunnel parallel to the borehole in an attempt to rescue the two-year-old.
Después de realizar una nueva microvoladura se han reanudado los trabajos para alcanzar el tunel donde encontraremos a Julen
Todos #SinDescansoNiDesaliento en Totalán pic.twitter.com/slFKaWJqi6
— Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) January 25, 2019
Alfonso Rodriguez Gomez de Celis, the Spanish government delegate for Andalusia, confirmed the boy’s body had been found early this morning.
“Unfortunately at 1.25am this morning, the rescue teams have accessed the point of the well where Julen was and have located the lifeless body of the child,” he said.
He offered his condolences to the family, as did Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who said the country shares the ‘infinite sadness’ felt by Julen’s family.
Spanish officials in Malaga paid their respects to Julen with a minute’s silence outside the city hall this morning, where flags were lowered to half mast.
The city has also declared three days of mourning.
La Corporación Municipal ha guardado, en las puertas del Consistorio, un minuto de silencio en señal de condolencia por el fallecimiento de #Julen pic.twitter.com/BZXQK1MBIC
— Ayuntamiento Málaga (@malaga) January 26, 2019
According to the Guardian, Sr Gomez de Celis said Julen appeared to have become trapped around 71 metres down the unlined borehole, his fall causing earth to fall on top of him.
However he added that it was just one theory as a post mortem got underway.
He urged anyone who had dug boreholes to ensure they were covered up.
Desgraciadamente...a pesar de tanto esfuerzo de tanta gente, no fue posible...#DEPJulen
Nuestras más sinceras condolencias a sus familiares pic.twitter.com/VVJck6QQeC
— Guardia Civil 🇪🇸 (@guardiacivil) January 26, 2019
