British couple left homeless after floods in Malaga destroyed the caravan they lived in

During the devastating floods that hit the Guadalhorce valley region during the previous Dana, an elderly British couple almost lost their lives when the caravan they were living in was completely destroyed.

Originally from Surrey, Jo and Tim Hambling, 74 and 60 respectively, had lived in the caravan on the site in Campanillas, close to the Guadalhorce river, for two years, until the river overflowed during the storms and their home was submerged in more than two metres of water.

The couple, who are both undergoing medical treatments, had to wait several hours waist-high in water before the emergency services could reach them. All of the other residents were also evacuated from the site, although most were not affected as much as Jo and Tim.

Desperate to escape with their lives, the couple left with only the clothes they were wearing, along with four of their five dogs (the other was washed away by the force of the water).

Grateful that they had no physical injuries, for they feared for their lives, the couple were left with the devastating fact that they had nowhere to live, because their caravan, as Gary Mercer, a spokesperson for the couple, said, was “unsalvageable”.

Thankfully, Outlaws MC Malaga, a local motorcycle club, came to the rescue by offering the couple shelter in their clubhouse, which was not ideal, but the only option available to them at the time. However, what the spokesperson described as a “local hero” heard about their plight and has offered them a motorhome that he no longer needs. Although the water has now receded, an excavator or “some sort of JCB” is needed to level the ground to allow access to the plot where they lived, although the couple do not have resources to finance this. Until the land can be levelled and the motor home can be parked on the site, they will need to stay at the clubhouse, which Mercer said “is not the best situation for them to be in”.

“Any offer of accommodation would be greatly welcome at the moment. It will cost around 500 euros to get a digger to the site, so we are appealing to anyone with this equipment who could help,” Mercer, who is also raising funds to help the couple get back on their feet, said.

Anyone who can help should contact Gary on gary.mv@gmail.com