Tragic footage shows heartbreaking final moments of little girl trapped in volcanic mudflow

Warning: This article contains content some readers may find upsetting

One of the most haunting images ever captured is that of Colombian teenager Omayra Sánchez Garzón trapped in volcanic mudflow in the final moments of her life.

The 1985 Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano eruption killed over 22,000 people from the surrounding area, triggering pyroclastic flows which set off mudflows and landslides that spread across nearby towns.

One of the victims of these mudflows was 13-year-old Omayra who was trapped in a puddle of water by debris with her head above the surface but unable to make it out.

Rescuers could not free her from where she was stuck, but people kept bringing her food and water as they hoped for her survival.

People were able to get a tyre around her in order to keep her head above the water but they did not have the equipment it would have taken to get the teen out of the debris and out of the water.

The 13-year-old was trapped in the water by debris (Frank Fournier)

The image of Omayra trapped was taken by photojournalist Frank Fournier, whose photo showed that her eyes had turned black during her ordeal.

During her time in the water she spoke to people around her and sang songs, but in her final hours of life she started to hallucinate, telling the people who stayed with her that she needed to get to a maths exam.

She died on 16 November, three days after the volcano erupted, believed to be either of hypothermia or gangrene.

Her last words were caught on camera by people around her who had the means to record her final moments but not the means to rescue her.

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

Several rescue attempts had been made to help the girl before they realised they couldn't do it and instead focused on making her as comfortable as possible.

After her death when divers were eventually able to get into the water they found that her legs were trapped by what had been the roof of a building, and the arms of her aunt's body were holding onto her.

Years later, Fournier spoke of the photo he took of the 13-year-old.

He said: "For three nights and three days - stuck in a pool of sewage water at the bottom of small hill, lay crushed under layers upon layers of fallen wall, a voice was to speak in the name of 28 thousand.

"It was a voice of an ordinary little girl who will cross land and time, and will bounce and pierce the heart of millions of people.

"A commanding dignity, a stunning courage and a relentless kindness during this oppressive and painful hour reveals more than ever the magnitude of every single individual."