-With AAP.
As his family prepared a picnic in Totalan, a small town on the southern coast of Spain, Julen Rosello’s played nearby.
But somehow, the Spanish two-year-old fell into a narrow, deep borehole a private estate in Totalan, Malaga.
That was a week ago.
Rescuers in southern Spain have been working to rescue Julen from the 110-metre shaft – a mission that has gripped the public both in Spain and around the world.
No contact has been made with Julen, but strands of his hair have been found in the borehole. Rescuers are working on the basis that he is still alive.
The hole is only 25 centimetres wide, meaning no adult can fit inside.
The rescue mission triggered an outpouring of public support as rescuers struggled with the challenge of bringing heavy equipment up steep access roads and reaching the toddler safely.
The lead engineer overseeing the operation, Angel Vidal, said rescuers were "incredibly motivated" to reach the boy as soon as possible.
"We're not bothered by the hours, the tiredness or the lack of sleep," he said on Saturday.
"We are hopeful that we will reach him as soon as possible and bring him back to his parents."
Video footage shot by firefighters and released by Spanish broadcaster Canal Sur shows a blockage around 70m into the well which has prevented rescue services from sending food or water to the child.
Trucks brought drilling equipment and giant pipes to the site on Friday.
The latest update on Sunday said the frantic effort to reach him has again been slowed by difficult terrain.
A drill used to create a vertical shaft parallel to the waterhole has hit a rocky patch, provincial authorities said.
Experts are hoping to reach the boy by digging a horizontal tunnel to the spot where they believe he is trapped.
Once the first tunnel is completed, rescuers will begin working by hand to construct a second shorter tunnel to reach the area where the boy is trapped, which will take a further 20 hours.
Rescuers hope to find him at a depth of 72m, where a soil blockage has hampered efforts to save him.
Top Comments
That poor family pray for you people and that the little man will be OK. Thoughts are with you all.
The poor boy. I somehow doubt he will come out of this alive- a toddler and a week down there with no food or water, they need a miracle. But stranger things have happened. Hopefully they get to him.
Let's pray that miracle happened for the boy. Hope little Julen will be alright