Jewish couple Philip and Elaine Marco died at the ages of 77 and 75 in Liverpool on Saturday after they drove their car into a flooded area in the city, British media reported on Monday.
According to reports, the alarm was raised after a passerby saw the car's red lights beneath and water and called rescue services. The couple was extracted from the car and rushed to hospital but were ultimately pronounced dead.
The Marcos' car got stuck while going under a bridge in the city's Mossley Hill neighborhood. The same area is prone to dangerous flooding due to an inadequate drainage system that is more than 150 years old, an issue that the council had reportedly been alerted to in the past.
The Marcos were dedicated grandparents and a humble couple
"We are devastated and heartbroken by the sudden loss of Elaine and Philip Marco," their family said in a statement. "They were much-loved parents to four children and 10 grandchildren. The family are arriving overseas from America and Australia to mourn their loss. They were due to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary next week and our only comfort is knowing that they were together to the very end."
The couple was due to celebrate their 54th wedding anniversary on Thursday.
The couple's rabbi, Avremi Kievman, said that he and his wife and known them and had been friends with them for 30 years.
"They were much-loved parents to four children and 10 grandchildren."
The family
“They were very dedicated and devoted grandparents, even more so than usual," he said. "They were a quiet and humble couple. For many years they ran a catering business serving the community, they did weddings and bar mitzvahs. It is a terrible loss that will leave a mark in the whole community."
"A terrible tragedy with the passing of our dear friends Philip and Elaine Marco," the Chabad-Lubavitch Liverpool synagogue wrote on Facebook. "May God heal the broken hearts of their children and grandchildren. A huge loss to our community."