The fall of a block of ice caused the death of a 41-year-old mountaineer in the United States on April 2, who sacrificed herself to save the life of a climbing partner.
A sacrifice to save a young life. The Guardian reports on a tragedy that took place in the United States on April 2nd. Meg O’Neil, a 41-year-old mountaineer, died saving the life of her climbing partner while scaling a frozen waterfall in Utah.
A gesture of bravery
This 21-year-old partner was spared thanks to the victim’s reflex, as the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office explained on Facebook: “A female climber pushed her climbing buddy aside, which probably saved his life (…). Unfortunately, the climber who pushed his companion out of the collapsing ice got stuck under two large blocks of ice and did not survive.
The young woman, who was close to death, was able to contact the emergency services to inform them of the fall of the ice blocks and the fall of a third person who survived a 12 meter fall with serious injuries. Upon arriving at the scene, rescue teams took turns for hours trying to find the victim’s body, CBS explains.
“A Fearless Hero”
Several tributes were paid to this heroine, such as roses laid at the scene of the tragedy. Taking to social media, Embark Outdoors, the organization she works for, paid tribute to her with an Instagram post, describing her as “a dear friend, a hero and our fearless leader.”
“In an act that says so much about her, Meg made sure her teammates were safe on the ground before she was killed by falling debris,” the association added in its post.