Local authorities “didn’t have time to get the seaplanes here before dark,” he said, adding: “The helicopters couldn’t get up because of the smoke.”
With high winds, dry land and soaring temperatures, Malcolm believed there could not have been a worse combination.
“It’s nobody’s fault. Nobody can be blamed for this.”
Malcolm says he has been overwhelmed by the support of friends of all nationalities.
He and Annette moved to Spain after many years sailing together. They had each previously lost their partners to terminal illnesses and shared a love of travel and making new friends.
The couple had hoped to live out their final years together in the tranquillity of the Andalusian countryside.
“There’s just that little spark of hope, even though I know a body has been found clutching a cat. Hard cold facts are pointing to the bodies they’ve found.”
Malcolm said the local police have also been a huge help and have been keeping him up to date with their work.
But he fears what will happen in the coming days as his the magnitude of his loss hits him.
“So we are just waiting now for DNA clarification. And after that, I will probably just fall apart.”
Additional reporting by Kostas Kallergis and Juan Dominguez.