Rescue teams in Spain are becoming increasingly desperate to locate a young boy who fell down a well some eight days ago. Julen Rosello, 2, is believed to have fallen 30 stories down the borehole after wandering off from his parents during a picnic. But despite the frantic efforts of rescue crews to drill down and retrieve the child, they have not yet managed to locate him.
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“We are incredibly motivated to reach him as soon as possible. We’re not bothered by the hours, the tiredness or the lack of sleep,” Ángel Vidal, the lead engineer on the rescue team said on Saturday, as reported by The Guardian. “We are hopeful that we will reach him as soon as possible and bring him back to his parents.”
Workers reportedly hit granite while drilling, hampering further efforts to reach the boy. Roughly 100 firefighters have been deployed to help retrieve the youngster, who fell down the hole as he and his family took a walk through a private estate in Totalan, Málaga.
The opening is just 25 centimeters wide, and crews have found that about 75 meters down there is a blockage that they currently cannot get past. According to reports, a camera lowered down to try and locate the boy could not even fit through the tight gap. The images beamed back did, however, help them to locate candy the boy was holding when he fell, and also discovered hair in the soil that matched Julen’s DNA.
Still, that is no consolation for Julen’s parents, who are enduring a living nightmare as they hope and pray for news of their little boy.
“My wife is broken,” Julen’s father Jose told reporters Wednesday, as reported by NBC. “We are dead inside. But we hope we have an angel to get my son out of there.”
As for the rescue team, they have assured the family that they will continue to work on the assumption that the young man is still alive. Experts are split, however, highlighting that it is unlikely the boy has survived the fall, but the adverse weather conditions might be of benefit to him.
“The cold has a double edge,” said Ivan Carabano, a paediatrician at Madrid’s Hospital 12 de Octubre, according to the El Pais daily. “On the one hand it’s negative because it can cause multiple consequences. But in this case we all hope for its better outcome: with it you gain time to survive because at lower temperatures the human metabolism slows and tissues are preserved.”
On Tuesday, a specialist mining team was flown in to assist in the rescue mission.
Residents of the local town have been holding vigils as they await news of the stricken child. Others have taken to social media to offer their prayers and support.
Can’t stop thinking about little #JulenRosello in Spain.
I don’t know if there is a god that can hear me but I am praying for you champ. I want to believe and hope that we will witness a miracle. #PrayforJulen
Vamos pequeño…— King Ragnar (@CalabriaViking) January 22, 2019
“Dear Heavenly Father Please bless the young boy and watch over that he would be safe and healthy,” another person commented online. “Bless the family, give them the strength to get through this.”
Precious #JulenRosello is hitting his 10th day trapped in a Spanish well…he needs everyone’s prayers..there needs to be coverage on this #PrayforJulen pic.twitter.com/uo6HzzKZH9
— Archibald ???♀️ (@tinaarch) January 23, 2019
Send prayers to #JulenRosello and his family..praying that god is keeping him safe ??
— Julie kemp (@juliex1980xx) January 23, 2019
Do pray for dear Julen and his distraught family at this horrific time.