A Father and son were on holiday, staying with friends at a Costa villa in Spain when the incident took place. Jonathan Wells, 45, jumped into the raging sea to help his father, a 75-year-old pensioner as he screamed for help. Fellow tourists and locals watched as both were dragged under water. Two heroic Spaniards tried to reach them, and almost drowned during their efforts.
Exhausted Jesus Balderas, 25, who had taken his girlfriend to the beach in Almunecar, told reporters: “I did my best but had to give up, it was impossible.”
A coastguard launch later recovered both bodies.
Friends of fashion designer Jonathan and his dad Robert, 75, were distraught by the tragedy.Jonathan owned a boutique next door to one run by his mum in Cobham, Surrey.
Jonathan, who lived alone in a £300,000 cottage in the town, will be sadly missed by friends. A friend of the family said: “He was the loveliest of blokes. His dad was as well.” Neighbour Tim Hadleigh told The Sun: “It’s just awful.”
A bar owner on El Tesorilla beach said officials failed to put out a red flag warning people not to swim. However, a police spokesman insisted that, “red flags were flying.”
This is a tragic story of a family whose holiday went totally wrong. The debate on whether officials failed to put out a red flag is still unknown. Either way two men still lost their lives.
Accidents like this one happen all over the world, some people under estimate the power of the sea, or take out excursions that don’t follow the guided regulations.