The families of two lifelong friends who were washed away by severe storms in Malaga have written heartfelt open letters just weeks after their deaths.
Juan Francisco Zea and Antonio Morales died after the van they were travelling in was carried away by floodwater in Alhaurin el Grande on December 28.
In two public letters shared via the town hall, relatives of both men thanked residents and emergency services for their overwhelming support.
‘We want to express our deepest and most sincere thanks to everyone who stood by us during one of the hardest moments of our lives,’ wrote the family of Juan, paying particular tribute to the solidarity shown from the moment he was reported missing.
They said that since his death they have felt ‘the support and solidarity of so many people’. and offered special thanks to the Local Police, Guardia Civil, Civil Protection, firefighters, the town hall and volunteers.
‘Your professionalism, humanity and closeness gave us strength in the midst of pain,’ the family said, also acknowledging the countless messages of sympathy from neighbours and friends.
A similar message was shared by the family of Antonio, who admitted that words were hard to find in the midst of their grief.
‘Today I am the one who cannot find the words to thank everyone for what we have received from our neighbours and friends,’ the letter read, adding that they had felt ‘support, affection, respect and solidarity’.
‘We will never forget everything you have done for us. Thank you for being there, for helping and for accompanying us,’ wrote Juan’s family.
Antonio’s relatives, meanwhile, looked ahead with the reassurance that they are not alone: ‘A difficult path lies ahead, but I am sure we will not walk it alone.’
Juan was 53 and worked as head of studies and a mathematics teacher at IES Los Montecillos de Coin, which also publicly expressed its sorrow, saying there were ‘no words’ to describe what he meant to the school community.
Antonio, 54, owned a cafe and ice-cream parlour on Camino de Malaga, one of the busiest areas of the town.
Their bodies were found following a large-scale search operation involving around 150 emergency personnel and volunteers.
