Final Words Of Girl Trapped In Volcanic Mudflow To Photographer Who Didn’t Save Her

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The heartbreaking final words of a girl who died after being trapped in a volcanic mud flow have been revealed.

Omayra Sánchez Garzón tragically lost her life after spending 60 hours stuck in the mudflow, also known as lahars, after the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted in Colombia on November 13, 1985.

The devastating eruption remains the deadliest natural disaster in the country’s history. The volcano had been dormant for 69 years before the eruption occurred.

Two months before disaster struck, volcanology experts had warned government officials to evacuate nearby areas after signs of volcanic activity were detected. However, the warnings went largely ignored, a decision that ultimately cost thousands of lives.

As pyroclastic flows raced down the volcano’s slopes, they triggered mudslides and lahars traveling at speeds of up to 30 mph. Gaining momentum as they moved, the deadly flows eventually swallowed the town of Armero.

Although the eruption itself was not considered especially massive, the intense heat melted snow and ice from the glacier covering the volcano. According to reports, this released three powerful lahars made up of volcanic debris, mud, rock, and water.

One photograph taken during the catastrophe has continued to break hearts decades later, showing a young girl trapped in the aftermath, which has been dubbed by some as the ‘worst death imaginable’.

The eruption that devastated Colombia

The Nevado del Ruiz eruption claimed the lives of around 20,000 of the 29,000 people living in Armero.

Nearby communities were also severely impacted, pushing the total death toll to somewhere between 23,000 and 25,000 people.

Emergency crews were unable to access Armero until roughly 12 hours after the disaster unfolded on November 13.

Tragically, 13-year-old Omayra Sánchez Garzón became trapped beneath the wreckage after lahars destroyed her home.

Unable to free herself, the teenager remained stuck in muddy water up to her neck.

According to The New York Times, volunteers heard her cries and discovered she was pinned beneath debris and trapped by the body of an aunt.

Firefighters, volunteers, and residents from surrounding areas desperately tried to pull the girl free by digging through the wreckage.

At one point, rescuers attempted to move her deceased aunt, but reports stated the woman’s arms were tangled around Omayra’s legs.

Red Cross workers requested a pump from the government in hopes of lowering the water level to rescue her.

There were also discussions about amputating Omayra’s legs to save her life, but rescuers ultimately realized they lacked the medical equipment and facilities needed to carry out such a procedure.

The haunting image that shocked the world

Red Cross volunteers, reporters, and aid workers stayed beside Omayra throughout the ordeal to comfort her, including French photojournalist Frank Fournier.

During those final hours, Fournier captured the photograph that would later become synonymous with the tragedy.

The image was published around the world, and Fournier went on to win the 1986 World Press Photo of the Year award for the photograph.

The heartbreaking picture shows Omayra submerged in murky water, with only her head and hands visible. One wrist was tied to a piece of wood she had been clinging to in an effort to stay afloat.

Fournier later told the BBC: “She had been there for almost three days. Dawn was just breaking and the poor girl was in pain and very confused.”

He continued: “All around, hundreds of people were trapped. Rescuers were having difficulty reaching them. I could hear people screaming for help and then silence, an eerie silence. It was very haunting.”

One of the most disturbing details in the photograph is Omayra’s darkened eyes.

The discoloration was reportedly caused by the pressure from her trapped legs combined with prolonged exposure to cold water, which left her eyes severely bloodshot.

Why the photographer faced backlash

Many people later criticized Fournier for taking photographs instead of helping Omayra during her final hours.

Addressing the criticism, Fournier said: “There was an outcry, debates on television on the nature of the photojournalist, how much he or she is a vulture.

“But I felt the story was important for me to report, and I was happier that there was some reaction; it would have been worse if people had not cared about it.”

Heartbreakingly, rescuers were never able to free Omayra. She died on November 16 after being trapped for around 60 hours.

It is believed she died from either gangrene or hypothermia.

Reflecting on the moment, Fournier said: “When I took the pictures, I felt totally powerless in front of this little girl, who was facing death with courage and dignity. She could sense that her life was going.

“I felt that the only thing I could do was to report properly on the courage and the suffering and the dignity of the little girl and hope that it would mobilize people to help the ones that had been rescued and had been saved. I felt I had to report what this little girl had to go through.”

Omayra Sánchez Garzón’s haunting final words

In her final hours, the teen was surrounded by locals, who placed a tyre around her waist to keep her afloat and kept feeding her sweets in a bid to comfort her.

However, as the situation began to take hold Omayra is said to have begun hallucinating, telling those around her that she could not be late for school and other such comments.

Eyewitnesses have since revealed the devastating final words said by the girl before she tragically lost her life.

She said: “Mommy, I love you so much, daddy I love you, brother I love you.”

Related Article: Photographer Explains Why He Didn’t Save Trapped Girl Who Died ‘Worst Death Imaginable’

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