A Swedish expat faces a serious fine after ignoring evacuation orders and jumping into floodwaters in Cadiz to rescue his dogs.
Lars Walker has been blasted by his local mayor after being filmed swimming across the swollen Guadalete River in Jerez de la Frontera on Friday to reach his flooded business and animals.
The well-known local entrepreneur runs Puerto de Jerez, a company offering canoe and kayak trips on the river.
His operations base is located in La Corta, a low-lying rural neighbourhood that had been ordered to evacuate due to extreme flooding brought on by Storm Leonardo.
Walker was filmed live by Canal Sur TV’s programme Hoy en Dia as he entered the river against explicit instructions from police and emergency services.
At the time, the Guadalete was running at more than 6.80 metres – just centimetres below its historical record – with a flow rate exceeding 1,180 cubic metres per second, according to regional monitoring data.
According to reports, Walker initially crossed the river by canoe to hand over the keys to his vehicles, which were at risk of being submerged near Venta Las Angulas. When he attempted to return, he lost the vessel.
Despite the rapidly rising water and powerful current, he then decided to swim back across the river for his pets.
Footage shows him being repeatedly pushed sideways by the current and clinging to tree branches to avoid being swept away.
Emergency officials later confirmed that he was moments away from being dragged downstream.
Walker eventually reached the building where his business is based, refusing to leave as he had sheltered there with his animals, including at least two dogs.
This prompted the deployment of a specialist unit from the Grupo Especial de Actividades Subacuaticas (GEAS) of the Guardia Civil, who crossed the river by inflatable boat during worsening weather conditions to carry out the rescue.
Officers managed to evacuate Walker and his pets safely. Once back on dry land, he was taken away by Policia Nacional officers.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether he was detained, but they have made clear that he faces a serious sanction for breaching evacuation orders.
The Spanish Eye has attempted to contacted Walker for comment via his business page and social media.
Jerez mayor Maria Jose Garcia-Pelayo publicly criticised the incident, calling it ‘incredible’ and ‘deeply irresponsible’.
‘This isn’t just about putting your own life at risk,’ she said in a video message.
‘It’s also about endangering the lives of the people who have to rescue you. This is exactly what must never be done.’
Around 7,000 people have already been evacuated from Jerez’s rural areas, with officials warning the figure could rise to 14,000 if the river continues to swell.
Authorities have once again urged residents to strictly follow evacuation orders and stay away from rivers, warning that conditions remain extremely dangerous even during brief breaks in rainfall.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
