The body of a missing man has been found down a Costa del Sol well next to his pet dog – who managed to survive for eight days down the 11-metre hole.
The grim find was made on Monday at around 7.30pm, when a resident alerted authorities after spotting what appeared to be a lifeless body inside the well.
Emergency protocols were immediately activated, with 061 health services, National Police and firefighters dispatched to the scene.
Jose David Ruiz Hierrezuelo, a 52-year-old resident of Velez-Malaga, went missing on August 24.
His body was recovered late on Monday from the bottom of the 11-metre-deep well north of the town’s wholesale market.
Ruiz had left home eight days earlier to walk his three dogs. Two returned alone, prompting alarm among family and friends.
When emergency crews reached the well, they discovered his body alongside the third dog – still alive.
A week-long search
Relatives and friends had been combing the area for days, joined by the Policia Nacional, Guardia Civil and local officers, who carried out coordinated search efforts across Velez-Malaga.
Following the discovery, judicial protocols were activated and specialist firefighters from the Provincial Consortium worked into the night to retrieve Ruiz’s body in a complex recovery operation that lasted several hours.
The remains were transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Malaga for an autopsy. Early inspections suggest the death may have been accidental: investigators believe the dog may have fallen into the well first and Ruiz slipped in while trying to rescue it.
Locals have voiced outrage on social media, pointing out that the well where Ruiz was found was uncovered, unmarked and without warning signs.
The site, located on private land near the town cemetery, is frequently used by locals walking dogs or strolling.
The Town Hall said it is reviewing the property’s file, noting that the owner had already been required on several occasions to make the well safe.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
