Photographer who took tragic photo of girl who died trapped in volcanic mudflow explains why he 'didn't save her'

Warning: This article contains content some readers may find upsetting

The image of a 13-year-old girl facing certain death after becoming trapped following a landslide broke the hearts of people around the world.

Omayra Sánchez Garzón was just a little girl when she became the face of a disaster in 1985.

The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia proved to be the worst natural disaster the country had ever seen.

While the eruption was relatively small, it melted around 10 percent of the glacier at the summit, which formed a volatile mixture of volcanic lava and ice, known as lahar, and gushed into the river valleys below and towards the nearby villages.

Despite warnings from experts months prior, the government failed to act, which meant multiple people were in dangerous areas when the event occurred.

Omayra Sánchez Garzón became the face of a disaster in 1985 as she suffered for hours before dying (Wikimedia Commons)

The lahars killed an estimated 25,000 people, with 14 nearby villages being destroyed.

Omayra was one of the people who suffered and a photo of her trapped, with black bloodshot eyes, was the image that captivated the world.

However, the photographer, Frank Fournier, was met with outrage from some people who questioned why he didn’t save her.

Defending his actions, 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.”

He added that he did feel powerless at the time and made sure he was able to showcase Omayra’s bravery even if he couldn’t save her.

He added: “When I took the pictures, I felt totally powerless in front of this little girl, who was facing death with courage and dignity. She could sense that her life was going.

Omayra died three days after becoming trapped under the roof of her own home following the volcanic eruption. (Pool BOUVET/DUCLOS/HIRES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

“I felt that the only thing I could do was to report properly on the courage and the suffering and the dignity of the little girl and hope that it would mobilize people to help the ones that had been rescued and had been saved.

“I felt I had to report what this little girl had to go through.”

Omayra was pinned down underwater by concrete and building materials, which would see her legs shatter if divers removed it.

Paired with the fact that they couldn't provide the life-saving care to her if her legs were amputated, each option held a death sentence for the little girl.

Omayra passed away on 16th November after being trapped for 60 hours.