“Everything is fine, mom”: the last message from Sofia, a Belgian living in Valencia, before disappearing for 3 days during the floods…
Sofia disappeared for three days during the terrible floods in Valencia. However, she had left a last reassuring message for her mother.
Published on 04/11/2024 at 18:31
Maryline D’haeseleer has lived for more than 30 years in the suburbs of Valencia, Spain. Living with her daughter, she was scared of her life during the floods that occurred a few days ago.
“The night of the disaster, we didn’t really know what was happening. Everything was out of service: no internet, no television, no mobile data. There was no doubt about the flooding: our ground floor was underwater. We also heard a lot of helicopters flying overhead. But the real seriousness of the situation? We didn’t realize it,” explains Maryline, who thought her daughter had gone to her in-laws.
At first, she wasn’t worried about his absence. “The last message she sent me was: ‘Everything is fine, mom,’” explains Maryline. However, she later realized that it was simply a way of reassuring her. “It was a lie. Sofia knows me well, she knew I would worry otherwise,” she explains to Nieuwsblad. In reality, Sofia found herself trapped by rising waters while driving towards her mother’s home.
In no time, she found herself stuck in the water. She then crawled onto the roof of her car
“In no time, she was stuck in the water. She then crawled onto the roof of her car. When it started to float, she crawled on a truck, like other stranded motorists, to gain height,” says Maryline.
But the water continued to rise and Sofia feared that the truck would also float. “She then jumped into the water and started swimming. Shortly afterwards, she was rescued by emergency services. She was stuck in an emergency shelter for three days, with no way to communicate.
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After these three long days, she was able to return home and find her mother Maryline.
