Legal News
British Couple Killed in Spanish Flash Flood (26 October 2011)
Date: 26/10/2011
A British couple have drowned in Spain after being swept away in a flash flood. Kenneth and Mary Hall were struck by a torrent of water while at a market in the town of Finestrat located on the Costa Blanca, according to Interior Ministry official, Jose Perez Grau. Mr. and Mrs. Hall had reportedly been holidaying in the resort of Benidorm, seven miles east of the town. A witness claimed that bystanders had attempted to save the couple but were unable to do so. The Foreign Office confirmed the death of the couple and said that it was offering consular assistance to the couple’s family.
The couple were believed to be sitting outside a cafe-stall at the market when a wall of water, predicted to be up to a metre high, hit them. Peter Desaunois, a Finestrat resident, witnessed the elderly couple as they fought against being swept away by the water. Mr. Desaunois said that the force of the water was so powerful that it caused a whole wall to fall down. Bystanders watched in horror as the elderly couple were swept away and tried to help them but could not. Jose Perez Grau claimed that the nearby area had experienced heavy rain for almost half-an-hour prior to the incident yet stallholders and visitors were caught by surprise when the flooding hit the town as the town itself had not experienced heavy rain.
Duncan Lewis’ personal injury solicitors can provide assistance to clients and their families wishing to claim compensation for holiday accidents or injuries.