GOODBYE JULEN
Body of boy, 2, found dead after 250ft well plunge arrives at funeral home to be met by heartbroken family and friends
Little Julen Rosello disappeared down the borehole two weeks ago
DOZENS of wellwishers today paid tribute to a two-year-old boy who died after a 250-foot well plunge - as his heartbroken parents accompanied his tiny body to a funeral home.
Little Julen Rosello disappeared two weeks ago down the hole with the massive search ending in tragedy overnight.
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Rescuers made the heartbreaking find about 1.25am local time today after digging out a 13ft horizontal tunnel by hand and reaching the spot they believed he would be trapped.
Civil Guard speleologists bored a parallel hole to bring his body up to the surface near the village of Totalán in the southern province of Málaga, Spain.
Earlier this week it was revealed the family had suffered a tragedy two years ago when Julen's then three-year-old brother Oliver died of a heart attack thought to be linked to a congenital heart condition.
Overnight, heart-wrenching shouts in Spanish of "Otra vez no" - English for "Not again" in a clear reference to the tragedy of Julen’s brother Oliver - were heard from the property minutes after dad Jose Rosello and mum Vicky Garcia were told their son’s body had been discovered before the official confirmation.
They were reportedly given the news by phone just minutes after rescuers made the grim find.
Local media reports claim the tot died almost instantly after striking his head during the 250-foot plunge.
A COUNTRY IN MOURNING
The Civil Guard has since thanked those from all over Spain for "chasing a dream that unfortunately could not come true".
Alfonso Rodriguez Gomez de Celis, a central government spokesman for Spain’s Andalucia region, confirmed: "Unfortunately at 1.25am this morning, the rescue teams have reached the point in the well where they were searching for Julen and have found the little boy’s body.
"The judicial commission has been activated. My condolences to the family. Rest in peace."
Spain’s Ministry of Interior confirmed: "After days of intense searching and incessant work, the lifeless body has been found in the well in Totalan.
"Our condolences to the family and our recognition for the effort made by the Civil Guard, the miners and all the emergency teams."
Authorities have since stated they believed the tot freefell 232ft before he landed on the dirt floor.
According to the preliminary autopsy, the tot suffered "severe head trauma".
HOW FAMILY LUNCH TURNED TRAGEDY
It is a tragic end to the search for Julen that unfolded when the tot fell down the well in a freak accident as his parents prepared a Sunday lunch paella.
Dad Jose told Spanish media how his son fell down the borehole around 2pm on Sunday as he was getting more firewood.
He told Malaga-based paper Sur: “My wife went to phone into work to let them know she wasn’t going. "She was with Julen and asked me to keep an eye on him as she made the call. He was only a few feet away.
"I went to get a couple of logs for the fire for the paella and he began to run.
"We saw how he fell down the hole, my cousin more than me because she was closer.
"I heard him cry at first but then I didn’t hear him cry anymore."
The parents have been keeping a tearful vigil near the site as the half a million pound rescue operation continued.
Our condolences to the family and our recognition for the effort made by the Civil Guard, the miners and all the emergency teams
Spain’s Ministry of Interior
A small amount of his hair was found in the borehole at the start of the operation alongside an empty bag of sweets and a cup the little boy was carrying when he disappeared.
Earlier last night, the tot's dad Jose had been seen by paramedics after having a panic attack.
Julen’s dad has said the borehole - on family-owned land - was made by a prospector at the request of his cousin’s boyfriend last month but no water had been found.
The prospector has told police he complied with the law by sealing the hole after it was made but Julen’s family say it had simply been covered with stones that weren’t properly laid.
Regional officials have said they had not authorised the borehole.
MOST READ IN NEWS
The construction of illegal boreholes is common in the area, with officials since appealing for locals to seal any in the wake of the tragedy.
A Spanish court has opened an investigation into the incident.
Totalan, the nearest town to the scene of the drama, is also expected to declare three days of mourning.
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Minute of silence held in front of Malaga's City Hall in memory of Julen Rosello
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Spanish Civil Guard releases video of miners working to reach the borehole where Julen Rosello was trapped
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Rescuers dig new tunnel to reach two-year-old boy trapped down a 250ft well for six days in Spain
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