EXCLUSIVE I was about to meet my wife at the airport when I was blindfolded and put through 77 days of torture
His wife was anxiously waiting for their reunion after he had texted her from the plane the moment its wheels had touched down on the runway.
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The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
‘In heaven now': Heartbreaking words of six-year-old after siblings, 11 and 13, drowned on ‘last swim' on Spain holiday
THE heartbreaking words of a six-year-old whose siblings drowned on a "final swim" in Spain have been revealed. Ameiya Del Brocco, 13, and her younger brother Ricardo Junior, 11, tragically died on Tuesday while on holiday at Llarga beach in Salou, near Tarragona. 6 6 6 6 The pair - affectionately known to their loved ones as Maya and Jubs - were swept away by fierce currents as their devastated dad tried to save them. But their six-year-old brother Casius - who was also on the holiday with the two parents and six children - is now tragically having to process the deaths. Casius is said to have told his mother: "Did you know Maya and Jubs are in heaven now? Juby went to heaven in a helicopter". The heartbreaking words were told to the Daily Mail by his aunt Macalia Del Brocco after Ricardo Jnr was airlifted to hospital. Macalia said: "So that's his understanding of it, which is bittersweet, because that was what he saw. "And it's beautiful that he thinks that's what happened, but very sadly tragic at the same time." She said Ameiya and Ricardo Jnr had asked for a final swim on Tuesday after spending the day on the beach and before returning to the hotel for the night. But the children got into trouble while swimming, with their dad going into the water afterwards to try and save them and being overwhelmed himself. Emergency crews were called and pulled the trio from the water with Ricardo Snr unconscious having swallowed water. She said Ricardo Jnr was airlifted to hospital while medics desperately tried to save the father and daughter at their hotel. Boy, 17, dies on beach after being buried alive in hole in sand he dug Sadly, the two children could not be revived, but Ricardo Snr pulled through despite swallowing a lot of water. Macalia paid tribute to her niece and nephew from Erdington, Birmingham. She said of Ameiya: "She is very, very athletic. Very determined individual. When she wanted something she was adamant she was going to get it. She was very as a character, she was very sarcastic and humorous." While she said Ricardo Jnr would do "anything" to earn a few extra quid. 6 6 Macalia said: "Junior loved doing odd jobs. Frequently in the neighbor's garden, doing her hedges for her, just to earn a few extra quid. He was quite the Dell Boy." A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the grieving family, set up by cousin Holly Marquis-Johnson to cover the costs of repatriation and funerals. Holly wrote: 'During what was meant to be a joyful family holiday in Salou, Spain, Ameiya and Ricardo Junior, lovingly known to their family and friends as Maya and Jubs, heartbreakingly lost their lives in a tragic incident at sea. 'Two beautiful, bright, and deeply loved children, taken far too soon. "The pain their family is feeling is unimaginable. 'This fundraiser has been created to help ease some of the financial burden the family is now facing, covering the costs of bringing Maya and Jubs home to the UK and giving them the dignified farewell they deserve. 'We know that no amount of money can make this right. But together, we can help carry some of the weight.' The children's GoFundMe appeal has already raised more than £30,000 of its £15,000 target. Ameiya and Ricardo's haunting final photo showed them smiling on the sand just hours before the tragedy. Local officials confirmed a yellow warning flag was flying at the time to signal rough sea conditions. But lifeguards had clocked off at 8pm — with the alarm raised just before 8.50pm. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of two British children who have died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.'
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- The Guardian
Country diary: The king of butterflies on a bungalow bin lid
I'm leaning on the lid of Mum's compost bin in a sunny spot, waiting for her to come home, when there is a 'plop' by my elbow. A butterfly has landed. There is no gap between seeing the butterfly and recognising it as a male purple emperor. I check the bin scene in disbelief: keys, glasses, phone, His Imperial Majesty (as he is known to admirers). Ragged and abraded of scales, his wings are swathed in royal purple light. A starry Disney wizard's cloak. He turns, loses his gilding in the new angle of light, and becomes reminiscent of a dusty armchair. The loose constellations on his raised forewings and the crescent of white, messy-edged darts look as though spray paint has bled from under a stencil. On one hindwing is a single tortoiseshell eyespot; the other has been torn away in nips and thorn tears. If this is a king of kings, he is a raggedy one. I pick up my phone to photograph this extraordinary visitor. Purple emperors feed in treetops, on sap and honeydew, only descending for salts and minerals on rotting things and animal dung. It's been a (relatively) great year for butterfly numbers, but even so. This is my third incidental encounter with His Imperial Majesty. The first floated on to rudbeckia flowers when I was on the landline to Mum 17 years ago, exhausted with three young children and with 200 miles between us. Now she is in the village, and shortly we'll be moving in alongside her. My second purple emperor was on a towpath dog poo. A runner paused to see what I'd found and I pointed in delight to a suddenly vacant pile of excrement. It seems inauspicious that such an elusive, aristocratic butterfly should be photographed on a bungalow bin lid. But I choose to claim this as the opposite: a sign that all will be well here at Mum's, a mile from our home of 21 years where I saw my first. Finally, the butterfly powers away, as if he has torn free from the pins and dust of a Victorian collector's display cabinet. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
How the loss of a daughter inspire a lifeline for Dundee families
Freya Skene was seven years old when she died after getting into difficulty in the water at Dunkeld in July mother, Brooke Reid, was in the water with her and managed to survive the that day, she has carried the immense weight of losing who she calls her "beautiful little butterfly".Five years on, Brooke has channelled her grief into creating Freya's Wish - a Dundee-based community hub that has become a lifeline for local families. She told BBC Scotland News her perspective on life has changed completely since the loss of Freya."The things I once used to fret over and get stressed about, they're just not relevant anymore."Nobody is promised tomorrow so we need to live now and make the most of every single minute we have, and make it beautiful."Brooke recalled that Freya was a generous and compassionate child, who once donated all her toys to a charity that recycled them for kids who had less."She had such a big heart. Her spark, her character… she had it right to a T. We should all be like that." A day that changed everything The pain of losing Freya has not faded for Brooke."I definitely think it gets harder. People move on and start to focus on their own lives again, and they forget. But for me, it feels like yesterday."She remembers the day Freya died began as a warm, carefree summer outing during the 2020 lockdown. Nothing seemed dangerous and there were no signs warning visitors of risks."We were having a great day out, playing in the Fairy Pools. What we weren't aware of was that currents change at certain points of the day. "When we were in the water, out of nowhere, a current came and dragged me and Freya down, under the waterfall."She believes better education and resources about the dangers of natural waters could save lives."Especially in Scotland, we're known for our beautiful destinations and natural waters. But we are not taught much about water safety." Freya's Wish was founded in September 2020, just months after the tragedy, and Brooke threw herself into the work as a way to cope with her began as a personal tribute has grown into a community space where Brooke says "people can be who they want to be without judgement"."If somebody needs my support in any way, whether it's me helping them or passing them on to someone else who can, it's an open door."She says memories of good times with her daughter became her motivation and drove her desire for other families to have that same chance. Freystival - a way to remember It has even inspired Freystival. A family-friendly community festival that aims to be affordable."Things are expensive now and people have to work crazy hours to afford anything that feels like a luxury," she explains."There are financial barriers for families to create magical days. Most people don't have £400 to spend on a festival with their family."This year's event is taking place at Mains Castle in Dundee on Friday and Brooke says she can picture exactly how her daughter would react to it."I think Freya would be absolutely buzzing. She was stuck to me like glue."She always wanted to be involved and do what's right, so she would be in awe if she was here today." Living with loss For Brooke, Freya's Wish has become a place where Brooke can continue to be a mother to her daughter, even in a different way."You have to find the inner strength to share their soul and their love."Brooke believes love and community are at the heart of healing."Most people in life suffer in some way, but it's about looking at it differently. We're all suffering, but if we were in this together, sharing love and supporting each other, we would all win in life."Love is the core of everything we do."
