Sergio Ramos Moving Tribute To Childhood Friend Killed In Air Crash
Spanish football ace Sergio Ramos has paid a touching tribute to a childhood friend who died in a plane crash.
The tattooed Paris Saint-Germain centre-back took to Instagram on 23rd October to write: “Sadness is part of farewells, but today it is much more, it is injustice, anger and pain, for you, for your family, for everyone.
“Thank you, Santi, for teaching everyone who has been lucky enough to meet you and enjoy life by your side to fly. RIP, brother! We will miss you.”
He accompanied his tribute with a snap of the two with their friends at a party as young children.
Firefighting pilot Santiago Duran Alzugaray, 36, disappeared while flying over north-western Spain on 19th October.
He had left Doade Airbase in Lugo Province at 11.30am and was flying solo towards Cordoba in a Thrush 710P.
Contact was lost at around 7.30pm after he apparently turned back over Valladolid due to bad weather.
His body was found two days later in an area of difficult access on Trevinca mountain – the highest point of the Galician Massif at 6,978 feet – in Porto de Sanabria, Zamora Province.
Father-of-two Santiago lived in Gines, Seville Province. Following the tragic news, the town hall lowered its flags to half-mast.
Santiago had been flying since 2009, qualifying as a commercial pilot in 2015.
In 2020 he began working for PLYSA – a company providing firefighting and fire prevention services in southern Europe, North Africa and South America.
At the time of the accident, he was working with the Regional Government of Galicia.