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Rescued British woman becomes 14th to die after Los Gallardos wildfires in Spain

A British woman has died weeks after being rescued from Spanish wildfires, which left her partner and her in hospital with "devastating injuries".

Lisa Fryett and her partner Simon Batchelor were found the day after the fire by emergency services close to where they were staying, near Los Gallardos.

The blaze in southern Spain left the pair in a critical condition.

Ms Fryett passed away on 28 July, her family announced in a GoFundMe update, saying that she had "fought so incredibly hard".

The post says she died while "surrounded by her loving family... surrounding her with love until the very end".

Mr Batchelor remains in a critical condition.

Despite their injuries, the pair reportedly pleaded with their rescuers to save them because they wanted to see their children again.

Ms Fryett's family expressed their "heartfelt gratitude" to the people of Spain and the local community for the kindness and support they had shown.

They singled out the police officers of the Guardia Civil, "whose courage and determination against all odds helped fulfil Simon and Lisa's wish to be reunited with their children".

Ms Fryett's death takes the total number of dead from the Los Gallardos fires to 14, including a 93-year-old British woman.

Spain's national police said the day after the fire that an unnamed British couple had been rescued.

Speaking to Spanish broadcaster TVE, Civil Guard Sergeant Pedro Barre said he and two others heard a sound while searching for survivors.

Read more from Sky News:
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After climbing down a hillside, they found the couple in critical condition with severe burns covering 40% of their bodies.

Rafael Zea, another of the officers involved in the operation, told the broadcaster: "Being able to ‌call out in the condition they were in was a titanic effort."

Mr Barre added: "We'll never forget that look of surprise and emotion on their faces."

Spain and France have been hit by record-breaking wildfires this year, with recent fires in central Spain and southwest France forcing the evacuation of more than 360,000 people.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: Rescued British woman becomes 14th to die after Los Gallardos wildfires in Spain

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