An expat who died in a Spanish wildfire sent a chilling final text saying 'we stupidly waited too long' moments before being engulfed by flames. Ana Sims, a 73-year-old American photographer, was among 14 people who lost their lives in the catastrophic Almería wildfire in Andalucía, Spain.
Sims had lived with her husband Pedro Rodriguez in the Bedar area for 40 years. The pair attempted to flee in their car but became trapped. Their bodies were found in their charred vehicle by emergency services.
Last Messages
In the moments before their death, Sims sent a series of WhatsApp messages to friend Lenox Napier. One message read: 'We're out but there's hardly anywhere to go. We stupidly waited too long.' The texts stopped on July 9, leaving Napier fearing the worst.
Napier told the Olive Press: 'I kept telling myself that maybe Ana wasn't texting anymore because she had no coverage. But there was this growing pain inside me that told me she hadn't made it.'
Wildfire Impact
The couple's deaths were confirmed on July 14. The five-day blazes ravaged more than 7,000 hectares and forced 1,500 residents to flee their homes. The casualties included seven Brits, three Belgians and one French national.
