The sirens are ringing loudly Catarroja. In Victoria Costa Mayo Street, transformed into a river overflowing with brown mud, a person floats to cling desperately to a tree From their balconies, neighbors shout and record, unable to help, while the current carries cars and containers away as if they were toys. To those observing the scene, she looks like a girl.
Despite attempts to reach it with ropes, knotted sheets and a ladder, the distance is insurmountable. The screams increase. The figurine is released from the tree and disappears in the current. “Poor thing…” laments a neighbor as she turns off her cell phone camera. This is how the story began Design Serrano Asunción, known as Conchi, a woman of 31 years old which weighs only 40 kilos but whose strength has been tested several times.
“That face in the mud is mine,” he said. What many do not know is that this image, which has gone viral on social networks and become a symbol of the catastrophe which left the worst DANA of the century, This was not the end of his story. Against all odds, Conchi survived, and she did so as she went along. The provincesthanks to Nicolas Hidalgo Navarrete, a 51-year-old truck driver, former bodybuilder and resident of his town.
A tragedy foretold
Isolated depression at high levels (DANA) that struck southeastern Spain left a trail of destruction and death. In Catarroja, as in Paiporta and other neighboring townsnature has exceeded its limits. Warning systems were not activated, leaving residents defenseless against the force of the flood. In matter of minutes, Entire streets were transformed into torrents; Cars floated, houses filled with mud and daily life turned into absolute chaos.
“We received the alert when the water was already up to our chests”said SPANISH a resident of Catarroja the day after the flood. This delay meant the difference between life and death for many. With more than 210 deaths and hundreds of families left homeless, the tragedy left a deep wound in the Valencian Community. But amid the disaster, other stories emerged, like that of Conchi and Nicholas, who bring a little light into the darkness.
Conchi never imagined that this afternoon would end up marking his life forever. He had gone out to move his van, his work tool, after hearing rumors about the flooding of the Poyo Ravine. Your small business, Cleaning Bonavistawas his greatest achievement, the fruit of months of sacrifice after applying for the one-off unemployment benefit. “I am the Messi of the household”he said with humor, remembering these moments of uncertainty.
When water began to penetrate the vehicle’s floor mats, he knew there was no going back. He left in a hurry, with the documentation on his chest to protect it from the water. His plan was simple: walk home. But the current was stronger than it seemed. In a few seconds, was dragged into the streetstruggling to stay afloat.
In desperation, he clung to a tree. Around her, the cries of neighbors trying to help her were barely audible above the roar of the water. “I could only scream ‘Help, I’m dying’. I held on as long as possible, but I let go.” It was then that destiny led her to Nicolas.
Images from the video that went viral on social networks showing how Conchi is violently dragged away by the flood.
The unexpected hero
Nicolás had arrived home a few minutes earlier, after moving his car to a higher area. From your window, He heard the screams and decided to leave.. He walked through the flooded streets until the force of the water caught him too. He held on to a fence to avoid being dragged. It was there that he saw Conchi for the first time.
“It was coming straight towards me, but it sank before it got there. For a moment, I thought it wouldn’t come out,” he said. When he saw her head pop out of the current again, he knew it was his chance. Nicolás reached as far as he could and grabbed his jacket. “He took the risk without thinking about it. He didn’t let me go for a single second,” remembers Conchi.
At that moment, they had to fight together against the force of the water while Nicholas searched for a safe place. He led her to a nearby portal, but what seemed like a refuge quickly became a new trap. The glass gate doors were closed.
Conchi, exhausted but determined, tried to break them with kicks and blows, while Nicolás asked the neighbors for tools. “I knew we wouldn’t make it, but I was amazed at how she didn’t give up.”said Nicholas.
General view of the Barranco del Poyo, covered in rubble and mud, which crosses the town of Catarroja.
Reuters.
Eventually, the water broke the doors and swept them inside. There, they face a new danger: the elevator shaft, transformed into a deadly escape. Nicolás, one hand clinging to the railing and the other holding Conchi, tried to maintain his balance as the water pushed them towards the void.
When the railing started to give way, Nicolas made a risky decision: let go and use the steps as a support point. With almost superhuman strength, he climbed the stairs with one hand, while holding Conchi with the other. “I thought we wouldn’t get out of there. »he admits. At this critical moment, a neighbor appeared and helped them reach the landing. In the midst of the darkness, they managed to reach safety.
An uncertain future
“This is the fourth time I have been saved from death”sentence Conchi, who was born with a cord around his neck. She almost suffocated during childbirth. This was his first greeting. Seven months after his birth, he had meningitis. Doctors prepared his parents and warned them that it was more than likely they would be unlucky this time.
However, when they went to operate on him, the symptoms had disappearedin an exceptionally rare case. The second salute was complete. Two months after this fortune, he fell out of the window of his house, for the first time, while his mother was cooking. This seems serious. But no scratches were made.
This is the fourth time she has been rescued, only a few weeks ago, when her own neighbors feared the worst when they saw her being taken away, she is the protagonist of this report. Conchi is now trying to get her life back on track. His cleaning business has been damaged, but his spirit remains intact. “I’ve survived worse things”he assures, smiling.
