A British couple were dramatically rescued from the deadly Almeria wildfire after Guardia Civil officers heard their faint cries for help, it has emerged.
The man and woman, who had been hiking when the fire engulfed the area, were discovered semi-conscious with severe burns covering around 40% of their bodies.
They remain in intensive care in a serious but stable condition after a rescue that officers say ultimately saved their lives.
Speaking to Spanish broadcaster RTVE, Sergeant Pedro Barre described how the search began on Thursday night as the wildfire spiralled out of control.
‘Experience tells you something,’ he said. ‘It tells you, ‘Look again, try one more time.”
As darkness fell, officers searched the mountains by repeatedly shouting and blowing whistles in the hope that anyone still alive might respond.
‘We heard a very faint sound, a long way off,’ Barre recalled. ‘At first we even thought it was just an echo.’
Determined to investigate, the three Guardia Civil officers traced the sound to a steep ravine, where they found the British couple stranded on a hillside.
‘The fact they managed to call out in the condition they were in was a titanic effort,’ said officer Rafael Zea.
The officers admitted they were astonished to find anyone alive.
‘For us, it seemed unbelievable that there could still be survivors,’ said Manuel Moyano, the third officer involved in the search.
The couple were suffering from extensive burns and were barely conscious when they were found.
A complex rescue operation involving firefighters and emergency medical teams followed, lasting more than two hours before they could be safely evacuated from the difficult terrain and taken to hospital.
They are now being treated in intensive care, where doctors say their lives are not currently believed to be in danger despite the seriousness of their injuries.
‘The look of surprise and emotion on their faces is something we’ll never forget,’ one of the rescuers said.
At least 12 people have died in the blaze, while Guardia Civil officers continue house-to-house searches across the devastated landscape amid ongoing efforts to account for everyone caught up in the fire.
DNA testing is also underway to formally identify the victims.
