THESE are the moments when the Guardia Civil was called into action to save people and pets during devastating floods in Malaga this week.
Residents in Cartama, 20 minutes outside of Malaga, were put in danger yesterday as the Guadalhorce River burst its banks and flooded the municipality.
The Guardia Civil was deployed to Cartama to evacuate around 20 people and their pets.
Footage released yesterday shows officers helping an elderly man wade through knee-high water, and carrying dogs to safety.
In another video, specialists are seen saving stranded dogs in the thick of the flooding, as the animals try to swim against the tide.
One dog was nearly swept away from its saviour, and another required four rescuers to return it to safety.
GEAS and SEPRONA, specialised units of the Guardia Civil, were used for the operations.
GEAS deals with underwater incidents and SEPRONA is the nature protection service of the force.
The flooding is particularly severe around Cartama station, and the water level has swamped the town’s bridge.
An evacuation of Cartama has been carried out as the river’s water level has now exceeded five meters.
Another measure taken is the suspension of classes at seven schools, affecting around 3,500 children.
Cartama’s mayor, Jorge Gallardo, has expressed his anger and concern with regards to a lack of river management.
“The river must be cleaned, drained, and given a wider channel so that it drains more water. There must be a solution. But no action is taken, neither with the river nor with the accesses,” he said on Tuesday morning.
