The rescuers had everything ready to save her, except for one thing that never arrived in time… 😢
Omayra Sanchez was 13 years old when the Nevado del Ruiz volcano buried her town, Armero, under tons of mud. She was trapped among the remains of her own house, with water up to her neck and her aunt’s body beneath her legs, unable to move.
For almost three days, from November 13 to 16, 1985, rescuers tried to save her. They considered amputating her legs, but there were no surgical supplies. They needed a motor pump to lower the water level, and that pump never arrived in time from Medellín.
Despite everything, Omayra spoke calmly, sang, and said goodbye to her mother in front of the cameras that showed her to the whole world. Her tomb in Armero is now a place of pilgrimage, and her story still reminds you that there is a dignity that not even the cruelest tragedy can take away.
