The last words of a teenage girl who endured 60 hours trapped in volcanic mudflow after a devastating eruption in Colombia have been revealed.
Omayra Sánchez Garzón, 13, was caught in the lahars triggered by the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz on 13 November 1985. The fast-moving mudflows swept through the town of Armero, where around 20,000 of the 29,000 residents lost their lives.
The girl was pinned beneath the debris of her home, and despite rescue efforts, her legs could not be freed. To keep her afloat, a tyre was placed around her, and locals gave her sweets and soda to keep her spirits up.
However, after three days, she began to hallucinate, telling those nearby that she had to get to school for a maths exam. Her hands turned white and her eyes became bloodshot. Her final words were: "Mommy, I love you so much, daddy I love you, brother I love you."
She died on 16 November, with gangrene or hypothermia believed to be the cause. Divers later discovered that her legs had been pinned by a roof, with the arms of her deceased aunt holding onto them.
A photograph taken by Frank Fournier in her final hours became a symbol of the tragedy and won the World Press Photo of the Year in 1996. Fournier described feeling "totally powerless" but said he wanted to document her courage and dignity.
