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British man speaks of grief at Spain flood deaths

11/10/2008

A British man who lost his daughter and wife in flash floods in Spain has spoken to media about his grief and the incident which claimed their lives.

Mark Cullen, a 49-year-old resident of Brighton, said his wife, Lorraine, 47, his two twin daughters and their friend, Gemma, were driving back home as floodwaters continued to rise near the River Clariano in Valencia.

As they drove up to a bridge, they found it inundated by water and tried to cross the river below.

"My wife went to pick up Samantha from the town centre," Mr Cullen said. "When they drove back the water was up high over the bridge. They got out of the car, all held hands and started to walk across the river.

"It was only up to their knees, but one of them slipped and the others came crashing down. It carried them across the edge.

"My daughter Sam is quite strong and managed to grab hold of a tree and climb up. She saw Gemma and grabbed her, but Lorraine and Lauren were gone."

Lorraine and Lauren, 14, passed away in the accident but Samantha is currently recovering in hospital.

Mr Cullen flew to Valencia with his two sons upon hearing the news.

Speaking about his loss, Mr Cullen said: "When I saw Sam, she was absolutely covered in bruises. Nothing is broken but her body's a mess, I've never seen anything like it. It's a blur, you don't expect to lose two members of your family in one hit."

Local consular officials from the British embassy are assisting the family.