He spent the week from 18-22 February 2013, in Huelva, south-west Spain, at the Rio Tinto Mining Project run by EMED Tartessus.

Pedro attended the site each day for the working week integrating into the Project team performing the following functions for the Operations Manager and Project Services Manager.

• Collection, filing and general administrative duties
• Organization of Project files
• Searching documentation archives for requested information
• File allocation and reporting
• Report compilation and distribution
• Site and process plant visits and explanations

Writing up a reference, a couple of weeks after Pedro had completed his 40 hour week there, Nick Anagnostaras-Adams, the Operations Manager stated:‍

“An intelligent and mature young man, Pedro liaised well and integrated very quickly into the EMED and wider Project team. Asking many questions about the industry, sectors and fields including disciplines and areas of expertise, roles, responsibilities and functions Pedro received guidance and advice from many members of the group some of which are very high level experienced industry professionals.

On behalf of EMED Tartessus we wish Pedro all the best in the future as a mining professional and would welcome him back to PRT any time to assist in his development.”‍

A year later, in September 2014, Pedro started his degree in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College in London. On 22 January 2018, a few days after his death, his fellow students at Imperial College sent an envelope to his parents containing testimonies of each one of them. They included the following handwritten note from Pedro’s personal tutor:‍

“I recall I interviewed Pedro for his university admission. When I heard the terrible news of Pedro’s passing, I searched my interview notes and found the following comments after I interviewed him:

‘The best of the five students I interviewed. Discussed his experience in EMED Tartessus in mines of Rio Tinto. Explained very well about processing copper ore and the use of cyclone for separation. This is the student we are looking for.’

Pedro was a pleasant, enthusiastic, hardworking and popular young man. Although I was Pedro’s personal tutor only briefly, the time I spent with him was a privilege.

My deepest condolences to his family.”‍

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