A missing British couple, Don Turner, 78, and his wife, Terry, 74, have been found dead in their car days after flash floods devastated parts of Spain, their family confirmed to the BBC. The couple had not been seen since heavy rainfall struck Valencia on Tuesday.
Their daughter, Ruth O’Loughlin, revealed that her parents’ bodies were discovered on Saturday. “We held out hope that they were still alive and maybe sheltering somewhere,” she said, expressing her sorrow at the news. Terry Turner had informed friends they were “popping out” to get gas before they went missing.
In an emotional interview, O’Loughlin recounted how she learned of her parents’ fate through a friend who urged her to call. “He said, ‘Ruth, get your husband.’ I called my husband in and he just said, ‘Martin, hold your wife,’ and said that they’d been found in their car.”
The couple had lived near Pedralba, Spain, for about ten years after moving from Burntwood, Staffordshire, in search of a sunnier life. O’Loughlin shared her final conversation with her mother, saying, “I’m really glad I said ‘I love you’ and she said she loves me too.”
The couple’s death is part of Spain’s worst flooding disaster in generations, which has claimed the lives of at least 217 people. Rescue operations continue in the Valencia region, where emergency workers are searching underground garages and tunnels for survivors and recovering bodies.
The floods began on Tuesday after a period of intense rainfall, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life. O’Loughlin has expressed her anger towards Spanish authorities, highlighting the tragedy’s preventable nature: “Not just our parents, so many people have died in this tragedy, and it is absolutely tragic. It should not have happened.”
In a related incident, another British national, a 71-year-old man, died after being rescued from his home in Málaga, suffering multiple cardiac arrests shortly after being taken to the hospital.
As the situation develops, Spanish authorities face criticism for their response to the floods, including perceived failures in warning the public and providing adequate support. The Spanish royal family faced protests during their visit to affected areas, underscoring the public’s frustration.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in contact with local authorities and providing support to the Turner family during this difficult time.