Omayra Sánchez & Frank Fournier

Omayra Sánchez One among 25,000 victims of the Nevado del Ruiz(Colombia) volcano Nov.14,1985. 23 years ago...she would be 36 today.. Omayra had been trapped in water/concrete for 3 days. This photo was taken shortly before she died and caused controversy due to the photographer’s work (Frank Fournier) and the Colombian government’s inaction in the midst of the tragedy. Frank Fournier, with all due respect, as much as I recognize your work, I couldn't help but ask what attempt was made to save her once she was discovered? This question was even stronger once I viewed the video.

Here is an excerpt from your interview: "I was devastated by what I was seeing, and by my inability to help her. You have to be pretty strong to face this kind of situation. To be so weak and unable to help is incredibly demanding and frustrating. I must say, I had been in difficult situations before, but my religious, ethical and moral values were definitely going through an earthquake of their own. I was unable to help and save this person. She was incredibly loving. She was twelve-and-a-half years old, very gentle and very sweet. She talked about where she came from. She saw that I was a foreigner and she even tried a couple of words in English with me. She even said: "Can you please help me get out of here? I don't want to be late for school; it starts at 8:30." Photographer ~ Frank Fournier's story.

Too often we remember the photograph and sometimes even the people within it but we forget the eye that was behind the lense. Although it seems out of place to thank you for this photograph, I do want to thank you for the ongoing courage you bring to your craft. ~ rox

Warning: This video is difficult to watch as it shows Omayra a few hours before she died. In this video Omayra is worried she will be late for school...



Omayra, you won't be forgotten. ~ roxanne