Man Dies Saving His Wife From Yosemite Rock Slide
A man died in Yosemite National Park after diving on top of his wife to save her from falling rocks.
According to the BBC, Andrew Foster, a 32-year-old climber from Wales, was killed on Wednesday on Yosemite's El Capitan. The rock formation is a popular climbing destination for travelers' worldwide, and Foster and his wife, 28-year-old Lucy Foster, were on it when a large rock fell off.
Gillian Stephens, Andrew Foster's aunt, told the Times that just before he died, Andrew attempted to shield his wife from the falling slab.
"She said, 'Andrew saved my life. He dived on top of me as soon as he could see what was going to happen. He saved my life,' Stephens' told the paper. "They were so devoted to each other. It really was a love story."
The newlyweds have a blog, Cam and Bear, that documented their life, with a focus on their outdoor adventures. The Guardian reported that the trip to Yosemite was to celebrate their one year anniversary and they'd described it as a "dream holiday."
In a statement about the incident, Yosemite officials said this is the first fatality because of rock falls in more than 18 years.
Yosemite National Park El Capitan rockslide.
A post shared by YExplore Yosemite Adventures (@yexplore) on Sep 27, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT
"Rockfalls are a common occurrence in Yosemite Valley and the park records about 80 rockfalls per year; though many more rockfalls go unreported," park officials said in a statement. "The rockfall from El Capitan was similar in size and extent compared with other rockfalls throughout the park, though it is not typical that there were victims."
Lucy Foster was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for life-threatening injuries.
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