Teen girl shared heartbreaking final social media post just moments before she died taking selfie with friends
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Union Pacific/Essa Ricker/Kelsea Webster/Savannah Webster / Getty Stock
Savannah Webster shared a heartbreaking final social media post on the day she died.
Savannah, 13, alongside her older sister Kelsea and her friend Essa Ricker, both 15, tragically died in October 2011.
The trio has been out in their local area of Utah when they found themselves near some train tracks.
They posed for a selfie together, not knowing that a train was close by. Ultimately the three girls lost their lives after being hit by it.
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Yesterday (October 15) marked 13 years since the devastating ordeal.
In the years that followed, John Anderson, the train conductor who was driving the locomotive on that fateful day in 2011, recalled the moments leading up to the girl's being struck by the train.
"We watched in horror as we got closer," he said. "We saw them for about 12 seconds until they disappeared from our sight and the train continued moving forward."
He'd tried to get the teenager girls' attention beforehand but failed to do so.
Shortly before the fatal incident, Savannah had posted to Facebook.
She wrote: "Standing right by a train ahaha this is awsome!!!! [sic]"
Kelsea and Essa died on the day of the incident, while Savannah died in hospital three days later when her life support was withdrawn after doctors told her parents she wouldn't recover from the brain injuries she'd received.
Giving an update at the time, Savannah and Kelsea's mother, Jayna Webster, penned on a blog, as per MailOnline: "We spoke to the doctors today and they informed us that Savvy's brain injuries were too great.
"Even though they've had done everything possible Savannah will not be able to recover any further. We will keep her on life support till the end of the day, but its time to say good bye, for now, to an angel that walked among us."
Elsewhere, an obituary penned about Essa described the late teen as 'a free spirit who had her own style'.
It continued: "Her trademark was her beautiful smile, mismatched socks and her bright colored shoes.
"Essa loved to take pictures and draw. She enjoyed gymnastics and was often outside jumping on the trampoline.
"She was a student at Diamond Fork Jr. High School and loved all of her friends there."
Essa was laid to rest on October 20, while Savannah and Kelsea's family hosted a joint funeral for the two sisters on October 22.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.