Daughter fears for parents missing in floods

A daughter says she fears for the safety of her parents who live in Valencia and have been missing since Tuesday's devastating flooding.

Ruth O'Loughlin said she spoke to father Don Turner, 78, and mother Terry, 74, on Monday but neighbours and friends have not seen them since the flash flooding and torrential rain struck.

Ms O'Loughlin, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, said she was desperate for news and worried as her parents have left their pets at home.

"I'd really like to find them and bring them back to the UK," she said.

Her parents moved to Spain about 10 years ago as they "always wanted to live in the sunshine".

But Ms O'Loughlin said she was told on Thursday they were missing after friends checked on them and found their pets at home while she had also not been able to reach them.

She said her mother told friends they were "popping out" to get some gas.

"Friends had nipped up there because they hadn't heard from mum and dad, the key was in the door, they could get into the property, the dogs were there and the car's gone so they know that mum and dad haven't gone back" she added.

More than 200 people have now died in the floods, according to Spanish authorities.

The popular couple were both retired and lived in a bungalow with "lovely friends around them" although they have been considering moving back to the UK as they were getting older, Ms O'Loughlin said.

Her mother had always loved animals, had cats and dogs and used to volunteer at their local rescue centre - and would do "her utmost" to get back to her pets.

Her daughter said she last spoke to her mother on Monday and "had a good chat" .

"She was moaning about the rain, ironically," she said.

"She was saying they wanted to do jobs to the house so they could put it up for sale but it's raining a lot.

"We talked about mum and dad coming over here next year to spend some time with us and we just ended the call and I'm really glad I said 'I love you' and she said she loves me too."

Ms O'Loughlin said she could not reach them the following day, then learnt of the flooding and was "horrified at what's going on over there".

She tried messaging her father while friends told her they were also messaging them.

"Then Thursday morning I got a call from my nephew, who is very close to my parents, to say that my parents' friends had called him to say they were missing and they'd been missing since Tuesday and they'd been looking for them," she added.

"The bad thing about where mum and dad live is that there's a bridge that's collapsed so their friends are saying they're more or less on an island, they couldn't get away, but they have been searching the local area.

Other friends have been checking hospitals and authorities have been alerted, she added.

Ms O'Loughlin and her sister hope to travel to Spain soon to help search for her parents

"They're just very, very kind thoughtful people, are well-known, well respected in the area, " she said.

"I feel like I'm at my wits' end now with what to do, I feel a bit stuck."

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