Photographer Who Captured Harrowing Picture of Dying Girl Reveals Why He Did Not Save Her

In 1985, a captivating photo of a young girl appeared in Paris Match magazine, and the whole world was stunned seeing her bravery while facing definite death. The photo was taken by Frank Fournier, and featured 13-year-old, Omayra Sanchez, trapped in debris, caused by a mudslide, following the eruption of a volcano in Colombia in 1985, BBC reported.

After the photo was published there was a huge uproar against Fournier ami dallegations that instead of helping the girl, he captured her image for profit.

The photo featured Sanchez looking boldly at the camera while trapped in the rising pool of water, Indy100 reported. Her eyes were so bloodshot that they appeared black. Her hands had turned white after being caught in the water for hours. 

Red Cross workers were on the site, along with Fournier trying to rescue Sanchez, BBC reported. The organization unsuccessfully appealed to the government to supply a pump to lower the water level so that the girl could be pulled to safety. 

Sanchez was with her parents, aunt, and brother when the tragedy struck, Indy100 reported. Her father and aunt died on the spot, while the rescue team saved her mother and brother. 

The girl's legs were trapped under a door made of bricks, and the dead aunt's grip on the girl's legs meant the child could not move. Emergency responders explained that they couldn't get Sanchez out without shattering her legs.

They added that even if the team went that route, there were no resources onsite to help them stop the bleeding, leading to the child suffering more pain. Ultimately, the decision was made to leave the girl as she was in order to spare her from more suffering.

Fournier took and published the photo because he wanted Sanchez's plight and courage to be communicated to the entire world, Indy100 reported.

His response to the criticism leveled at him was that the situation "was impossible," BBC reported, especially since not even experts around him were able to find a way to get the girl out of the pit alive.

The photographer understood that the rescue team needed support from authorities and wanted the photo to be published as quickly as possible to create public pressure on the government to provide more help. 

Fournier immediately sent the photos back to Paris for publishing, BBC reported. Sanchez, however, could not hold out any longer, and she died after 60 hours of being stuck in the debris and water. 

"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," Fournier said. "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 continued, "I believe the photo helped raise money from around the world in aid and helped highlight the irresponsibility and lack of courage of the country's leaders. There was an obvious lack of leadership. There were no evacuation plans, yet scientists had foreseen the catastrophic extent of the volcano's eruption."

Fournier is proud of the everlasting impact the photo and Sanchez left on the world, BBC reported. He noted: "There are hundreds of thousands of Omayras around the world – important stories about the poor and the weak and we photojournalists are there to create the bridge."