Tragic last words of young girl who died after getting trapped in volcanic mudflow for 60 hours

Warning: This article contains content some readers may find upsetting

Colombian teenager Omayra Sánchez Garzón spoke her heartbreaking final words before losing her life in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

Sánchez had spent 60 hours tapped in volcanic mudflow before succumbing to the elements, after rescuers decided they would be unable to save her life.

On 13 November, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted in Colombia, killing around 20,000 out of the 29,000 residents in Armero and leaving the town completely devastated beyond repair.

The death toll from the surrounding areas would bring the total number of casualties up to 25,000, while the town of Armero was abandoned completely.

The destruction from the volcano had been particularly deadly due to the erupting volcanic matter melting the mountain's glaciers, which created a deadly pyroclastic mudflow known as a 'lahar'.

It's believed that Armero was hit by three separate lahars, which caused the extensive destruction.

Perhaps the most devastating part of the Armero tragedy was that several of the town's initial survivors would later lose their lives as rescuers were unable to free survivors pinned down by volcanic mudflow and debris.

One of the most famous of these victims was 13-year-old Omayra.

She and her brother would manage to survive the lahar which struck their house, with her father and aunt being killed in the immediate aftermath, however, she would ultimately suffer a devastating fate after rescuers were unable to pull her from the debris.

Divers would later discover that the teenager's legs were pinned underneath the roof with the arms of her deceased aunt holding onto them.

After multiple failed attempts to free Omayra, rescuers were left to face the devastating reality that they could do nothing else to save her.

Rescuers then set about making the girl as comfortable as possible, placing a tyre around her in order to keep her afloat, while onlookers brought her sweets and soda.

Despite her horrifying predicament, Omayra remained positive for the majority of the time she was trapped, passing the time by singing and giving interviews to journalists.

However by the third night, she would begin to hallucinate - telling those around her that she could not be late to school as she had a maths exam - as her hands turned white and her eyes became so bloodshot they appeared to turn black.

Onlookers filming the situation were able to record her final words, with the girl uttering: "Mommy, I love you so much, daddy I love you, brother I love you."

In 1985, 13-year-old Omayra Sánchez became fatally trapped in a volcanic mudflow caused by the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Armero, Colombia.

Trapped up to her waist in debris for 60 hours, rescuers were unable to free her due to her legs being pinned under concrete.… pic.twitter.com/pACdrI4iWs

— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) August 20, 2024

Omayra would pass away on 16 November, with her cause of death believed to be either gangrene or hypothermia.

She was survived by her brother and mother, who had travelled to Bogota for business prior to the eruption.

When asked about her daughter's heartbreaking death, Omayra's mother would say: "It is horrible, but we have to think about the living... I will live for my son, who only lost a finger."