Walter Finch
AN elderly man has been left ‘brain dead’ after a firefighting aeroplane dumped water on his head.
The 80-year-old had approached the fire in an attempt to help control it when he was accidentally hit.
He was immediately rushed to hospital where he is in a critical condition.
The exact circumstances of the accident are still under investigation, but it is believed that the dense smoke may have impaired the pilot’s visibility or the man’s awareness of the aircraft.
The incident took place on Saturday when the town of Alía, Caceres, battled a wildfire that threatened nearby homes.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the small community of Alía and has led to the suspension of the town’s annual festivities.
Authorities have expressed their condolences to the man’s family and are working to determine the exact cause of the accident.
When the fire began to threaten their homes, local residents quickly mobilised, using hoses and buckets to slow its advance until professional firefighters arrived.
The Infoex teams, who had been tackling another fire in Valdecaballeros, arrived just in time to bring the blaze under control.
Firefighting efforts were bolstered by the use of the town’s local swimming pool, which provided crucial water supplies for the aerial units.
The Junta de Extremadura had activated emergency protocols, but the situation has since been brought under control and the alerts deactivated.
