Town in mourning for two-year-old boy who died in a 250ft deep well

January 26, 2019

Parents tears for tragic Julen: Town in mourning for two-year-old boy who died in a 250ft deep well as his body is brought to a funeral home ahead of poignant service tomorrow

Body of Jose and Vicky Rosello’s son Julen was found today at 1.25am in Spain
Their heartbreak comes two years after firstborn Oliver died suddenly aged 3
Oliver suffered congenital heart disease and died when Julen was 7 months old
Body of Julen arrived at funeral home today as hundreds gathered to mourn his passing

Family and friends are mourning a two-year-old boy who fell down a well and was found dead in a tragic end to a 13-day rescue operation.

Emergency services worked round-the-clock to reach two-year-old Julen Rosello, who plunged down a narrow, illegal well on January 13 as his parents prepared lunch nearby in Totalan, a southern town near Malaga.

The rescue team found the body of the toddler earlier this morning, as hundreds gathered to pay their respects to the two-year-old as his body was taken to the funeral home this afternoon.

His grieving parents, Jose and Vicky Rosello, both 29, can be seen clutching a football as they mourn the death of their young son.

The funeral for Julen Rosello, is expected to take place tomorrow at midday.

Julen’s parents clasp a ball as they wait for the arrival of their son Julen who fell into deep well in Totalan, near his house in Malaga

The body of the little boy who died after falling down a 100 metre borehole in Spain, arrives at a funeral home

The autopsy of Julen Rosello has reportedly took place today.

Officials have not commented on the autopsy, which was carried out at the Institute of Forensic Institute of Medicine, insisting early this morning, the results would be sent to an investigating court and would not be made public.

After the autopsy Julen’s body was taken in a hearse to a funeral chapel in El Palo, Malaga, where an overnight wake is due to take place tomorrow.

The youngster’s parents were waiting for him with friends when their son’s body arrived, around 4pm this afternoon.

Julen’s father Jose was pictured with his head in his hands and his eyes closed as a friend tried to comfort him.

Earlier today the Civil Guard has released footage showing rescue workers trying to reach the body of a two-year-old boy who fell into a 250ft deep well nearly two weeks ago – as it is revealed his parents are still grieving the death of their firstborn.

During the video, specialist miners work frantically to reach the body of Julen Rosello- who was found at 1.25am local time on Saturday after rescuers dug out a 13ft horizontal tunnel by hand.

The Civil Guard thanked those from all over Spain ‘chasing a dream that unfortunately could not come true’.

A message on The Civil Guard’s Twitter page read: ‘Our thanks to all those who from all over Spain and from all areas have given the best of themselves chasing a dream that unfortunately could not come true.

‘Your example of effort, determination and courage in the search for #Julen will remain forever.’

Parents Jose and Vicky Rosello, both 29, kept their hopes up during the 12-day ordeal, saying they were praying for their son after he plunged down a borehole on a private estate in Totalan, southern Spain, on January 13.

The Civil Guard released footage showing rescue workers trying to reach the two-year-old boy

The specialist miners work frantically to reach the borehole and find Julen Rosello

Jose and Vicky Rosello lost their firstborn Oliver (thought to be pictured with brother Julen) to a sudden heart attack – just two years before his younger brother fell down a 250ft-deep well

The parents – both 29 – in floods of tears yesterday as they waited painfully for updates on Julen. Rescuers found the two-year-old’s body at 1.25am today

The couple maintained hope throughout the 12-day ordeal, saying they were praying Oliver is looking down on Julen from heaven and keeping him safe

Julen Rosello, pictured, fell into the bore hole while out with his family near Totalan

Earlier today, a minute of silence was held for the toddler on the steps of Malaga town hall.

Hundreds of people had been working round-the-clock to try to reach Julen Rosello, who plunged down a narrow shaft which is more than 100 metres (330 feet) deep on January 13 while his parents prepared a lunch in Totalan, a southern town near Malaga.

‘Unfortunately at 1.25am the rescue team reached the spot where they were looking for Julen and found the lifeless body of the little one,’ the central government’s representative in the southwestern region of Andalusia, Alfonso Rodriguez Gomez de Celis, wrote on Twitter.

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A hearse arrived at the site shortly after the news broke to take his body to a funeral home.

There had been no sign of life from the boy but rescuers believed they knew where he was inside the illegal well.

The only evidence of the boy’s presence were some strands of hair that matched his DNA and a bag of candy that he had been holding when he fell into the well.

‘All of Spain feels the infinite sadness of Julen’s family. We have followed closely every step to reach him,’ Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on Twitter.

Jose Rosello (left), father of Julen, cries as rescue efforts continue to find the boy. He told Julen ‘Daddy loves you and your brother is going to help us’

Julen’s parents, Jose Rosello (in the grey coat) and Vicky Garcia (wearing a yellow scarf), pictured, have been keeping a vigil awaiting news of their missing son

‘We will always appreciate the tireless effort of those who searched for him during all these days.’

The complex search-and-rescue operation had been fraught with complications that caused delay upon delay as Julen’s distraught parents and relatives stood by.

Rescuers were not able to get to Julen via the well he fell down because it was blocked by a layer of earth, sand and stones believed to have been dislodged when he tumbled into the shaft.

They decided to dig a vertical shaft parallel to the well, 60 metres deep, which was finished late on Monday.

The idea was to secure the shaft with tubes then take elite miners down in a specially made cage to start digging a horizontal tunnel to the site where they believe the child was.

But the tubes designed to secure the shaft did not fit, so they had to widen it, which delayed the operation still further.

Pictured: The digger near the town of Totalan in Malaga, Spain, trying to reach the trapped two-year-old boy

A helicopter transporting explosives at the Totalan site two-year-old Julen child fell down a well

Julen’s mother (left) after hearing the devastating news that rescuers had found the body of her two-year-old boy

Julen’s parents (mother Victoria pictured left) had lost another child, Oliver, aged three, in 2017

Eventually, they succeeded and expert miners on Thursday began painstakingly digging a four-metre tunnel to join both channels and hopefully reach Julen with the help of four small, controlled explosions.

The miners worked in teams of two and were equipped with oxygen tanks.

Each small explosion took about two hours, which slowed down the rescue attempt.

Two miners had to first go down the shaft and bore a few holes. They were then followed by two specialised officers who set up the explosives.

Once they returned above ground, the explosives were detonated and then the rescue team had to wait half an hour to clear the shaft of polluted air.

Despite the passage of time, the boy’s relatives held out hope that he had somehow survived the fall and would be found alive.

Jose Rosello, Julen’s father, told reporters that ‘we have an angel that will help my son come out alive as soon as possible.’

The well was unmarked at the time of the accident and regional authorities in Andalusia said the necessary permission had not been sought before it was dug.

It’s yet more heartbreak for the family after their first child Oliver suffered a sudden heart attack in May 2017 and died instantly.

Julen had barely turned seven months old when his older brother passed.

This is the small hole Julen fell down on January 13 after wandering off from his family

His mother Vicky held Oliver for three hours after his death in the children’s hospital, according to Spanish media.

The parents – who ‘dreamed of one day having a big family’ – visit Oliver’s grave every week and talk to him for hours.

They say they’re now praying Oliver is watching over his little brother from heaven and keeping him safe.

Fighting back tears in an emotional message to his son last week, Jose said: ‘Stay calm Julen. Daddy loves you and your brother is going to help us.’

‘Oliver, don’t forget your brother, Julen,’ his mother wrote on social media,

‘You know we’ve been waiting for him for many hours. I know you protect him a lot, my little King.’

Julen’s father, who lives in the Malaga neighbourhood of El Palo, recalled the moment he realised Julen had disappeared down the borehole on a family-owned property as he prepared lunch with friends and relatives including a cousin.

He told a Spanish TV programme: ‘I was putting some more wood on for the fire and ran towards him.

‘My cousin was a bit nearer and threw herself on the ground as I reached the orifice.

‘He had already gone. I heard him cry at first but then I didn’t hear him cry anymore.’

Rescue experts resorted to using explosives to break through the 10ft wall of hard rock separating rescuers from the narrow shaft where the toddler was trapped.

More than 100 workers spent 11 days sinking a 300ft relief shaft beside the original well after the toddler disappeared 12 days ago.

Rescue experts, lowered into the new shaft in a capsule, yesterday completed the first 3ft of a horizontal tunnel as they looked to bridge the 13ft gap.

The government’s office in the southern province of Malaga said yesterday it had taken around 16 hours to dig through the first half.

As rescuers burrowed down, they discovered no signs of life since he fell into the well, aside from a few strands of his hair and the bag of sweets he was carrying.

Rescuers searching for the two-year-old boy used explosives to reach the space where he was stuck (pictured, the rescue site yesterday)

Pictured: the rescuers being lowered to the bottom of the shaft in this cage before beginning the delicate task of tunnelling into the borehole yesterday

Teams of two rescuers dug a 13ft tunnel between the relief shaft to find Julen Rosello

Members of the public have been holding vigils across Spain praying for Julen

The rescue bid has cost at least £500,000, but authorities were determined to find the boy and bring him back to the surface in a rescue mission that has gripped Spain.

Alfonso Celis, regional government representative, said on Wednesday: ‘Members of the Mines Rescue Brigade sent from Asturias (region) have just accessed the vertical well to start excavation in the search for Julen.’

Miners working in rotating shifts will dig a four-metre passage with picks, pneumatic hammers and explosives from the bottom of the shaft towards the borehole, which is 300ft deep and just 10ins wide.

Teams equipped with oxygen masks will work for 40 minutes each in conditions so tight they can only dig kneeling or lying down.

The process of crossing the divide between the two shafts could take up to 24 hours, emergency services chief, Ángel García Vidal, has said.

Meanwhile children and families have been holding candlelight vigils across Spain in support of the missing boy and of the massive rescue operation, even as hopes of finding him alive have faded with each passing day.

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