The photographer who took a haunting picture of a girl shortly before her death has shared his reasons for not saving her.
In 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted in Armero, Colombia, leading to a catastrophic natural disaster.
The eruption resulted in the deaths of 20,000 residents in the South American region, as volcanic lava and ice surged into river valleys and inundated their villages.
One of the victims was 13-year-old Omayra Sánchez Garzón, who became trapped in the debris of a mudslide and perished after being stuck for 60 hours.
Despite numerous rescue attempts, efforts to save the young girl were unsuccessful.
The Sun reported that Omayra’s legs were trapped under a door, and her deceased aunt’s arms were tightly wrapped around her legs and feet, making it extremely difficult to move her.
Rescuers found that each attempt to pull her out caused more mud to accumulate, creating a risk of drowning if they continued.
To keep her afloat for those long hours, they placed a tire around her and provided her with sweet foods.
A widely recognized photograph of Omayra was captured by a photojournalist, who faced significant backlash in the media following the publication of the image.
Critics questioned why he chose to take a picture of her in her final moments instead of attempting a rescue.
In a 2005 interview with the BBC, French photographer Frank Fournier, who took the famous photograph, discussed why he made this controversial choice.
Fournier explained that rescuing Omayra was an ‘impossible’ task.
He 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.
“I am very clear about what I do and how I do it, and I try to do my job with as much honesty and integrity as possible.
“There was an obvious lack of leadership.
“There were no evacuation plans, yet scientists had foreseen the catastrophic extent of the volcano’s eruption.
“People still find the picture disturbing.”
He also mentioned that the image helped to raise funds worldwide for aid efforts.