After Deadly Train Crash, a Search for a Furry Survivor
A woman holds a sign reading, in Spanish: "Missing Boro. Lost during the Adamuz accident. Any information is helpful." The dog went missing during a train crash in Adamuz, Spain, over the weekend. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Wrapped in a blanket and wearing a bandage on her cheek, Ana Garcia made an emotional appeal to the public: she needed help finding her dog, Boro.
Just hours earlier, Garcia, 26, had been traveling with her pregnant sister and their dog on a high-speed train from Malaga in southern Spain to Madrid. For reasons that authorities have not yet determined, the rear of their train car derailed and was then struck by an oncoming train traveling in the opposite direction. At least 42 people were killed and more than 150 injured in the crash, according to the Associated Press, with some of the wounded suffering injuries directly in front of Garcia.
Emergency responders assisted Garcia and her sister out of the tilted train car. She caught a brief glimpse of Boro before he ran off. After receiving medical care, Garcia—walking with a limp—told reporters she planned to return to the crash site to search for him.
“Please, if you can help, look for the animals,” she said through tears. “We were coming back from a family weekend with our little dog, who is family too.”
In the wake of one of the deadliest rail disasters in Spain’s history, the search for Boro has captured the nation’s attention. Thousands of people have shared video of Garcia’s plea on social media, while major Spanish news outlets have highlighted the effort to locate the missing dog. Photos of Boro—a medium-sized black dog with white eyebrows and a small patch of white fur on his chest—have circulated widely, along with phone numbers for Garcia and her family, though the AP reported it was unable to reach anyone through those contacts.
Hope briefly surged Monday afternoon when footage aired by public broadcaster TVE appeared to show a dog resembling Boro running through a nearby field. The area remains fenced off as investigators and rescue teams continue searching for victims and evidence. Despite the sighting, Boro has not yet been found.
Spain’s animal rights political party has since received authorization from the Interior Ministry to send an animal rescue patrol into the restricted zone. The search team is expected to enter the area on Wednesday, according to party president Javier Luna.
“I want to send a message to the family, who are going through a very difficult time,” Luna said in a video posted on X. “I want to give you hope, because I am sure we will find him.”
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