As the clean-up continued in Sant Llorenç and other parts of northeast Majorca yesterday, the search for the missing five-year-old, Artur, concentrated on the mouth of the torrent in S'Illot and on the area in Son Carrio where it was thought that the boy's backpack was found and where his mother, Joana Lliteres, was killed when the family car was overwhelmed by floodwater. Sniffer dogs, divers and the maritime rescue service were engaged in the painstaking effort to locate the boy's body. Another backpack was found in Cala Morlanda, S'Illot yesterday. The Guardia Civil sent a photo of it to Artur's father, who confirmed that it was the boy's. It has been clarified that the backpack found earlier last week was that of Artur's sister, Ursula, who was saved by German cyclist Daniel Thielk.
Another story of heroism has emerged. Miguel Ángel Sureda and Cristian Alcaide heard desperate cries for help. Miguel Ángel is a neighbour of a Moroccan family who were shouting for assistance. Together with Cristian, he was able to rescue four children from their property which had been rapidly inundated. They were able to carry the children one by one to a place at the end of the road which was higher up and was safe.
Many of the streets in the village were back to normal yesterday, thanks to the enormous volunteer operation which had seen some one thousand people help out on Friday. Electricians and plumbers - around 150 of them - were in the area yesterday and restoring services. The employment, trade and industry minister, Iago Negueruela, visited and spoke to businesspeople. Immediate financial aid is to be given.
Over 200 Guardia Civil officers and divers, army UME emergency unit specialists, and members of the maritime rescue service were engaged in the search for Artur's body. The minister for public administration, Catalina Cladera, stressed that the search will carry on until he is found. Conditions yesterday were more favourable for the search of the sea. On Friday there had been almost no visibility because of the remains of the floods, but the water had cleared significantly.
