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Climber killed by Yosemite rock fall 'saved wife' | Climber killed by Yosemite rock fall 'saved wife' |
(35 minutes later) | |
A climber who was killed by falling rocks at Yosemite National Park in California saved his wife's life, his aunt has said. | A climber who was killed by falling rocks at Yosemite National Park in California saved his wife's life, his aunt has said. |
Andrew Foster, 32, from Cardiff, was trapped while his wife, Lucy, 28, was seriously hurt when granite fell from the El Capitan monolith on Wednesday. | Andrew Foster, 32, from Cardiff, was trapped while his wife, Lucy, 28, was seriously hurt when granite fell from the El Capitan monolith on Wednesday. |
The large "sheet" plummeted from a height of 200m (656ft). | The large "sheet" plummeted from a height of 200m (656ft). |
Mrs Foster has since told family she was only alive because her husband saw what was happening and shielded her. | |
Gillian Stephens, Mr Foster's aunt, told the Times newspaper: "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'." | |
She said Mr Foster's parents, Julie and Dave, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, had travelled to America to recover their son's body. | |
"They are absolutely devastated. I can't tell you how upset they are," she said. | |
"They are absolutely devoted to their children." | |
Ms Stephens told the newspaper that her sister Julie, 57, had last week been given the all-clear from breast cancer. | |
She had taken the couple to Heathrow Airport for the trip to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. | |
"They were so devoted to each other," Ms Stephens added. | |
"It really was a love story." | |
The El Capitan rock formation is the world's largest granite monolith and one of the best-known landmarks in Yosemite. | The El Capitan rock formation is the world's largest granite monolith and one of the best-known landmarks in Yosemite. |
The pair, found with climbing equipment, are believed to have been scouting out the ascent from a trail when the granite sheet measuring about 40m (131ft) by 20m (65ft) fell shortly before 14:00 local time (21:00 BST) on Wednesday. | The pair, found with climbing equipment, are believed to have been scouting out the ascent from a trail when the granite sheet measuring about 40m (131ft) by 20m (65ft) fell shortly before 14:00 local time (21:00 BST) on Wednesday. |
Park ranger Scott Gediman said it was a tragic situation of "wrong place, wrong time". | Park ranger Scott Gediman said it was a tragic situation of "wrong place, wrong time". |
He said Mrs Foster, originally from Staffordshire and who went to school in Market Drayton in nearby Shropshire, was being treated for life-threatening injuries in an area hospital and had been told of her husband's death. | He said Mrs Foster, originally from Staffordshire and who went to school in Market Drayton in nearby Shropshire, was being treated for life-threatening injuries in an area hospital and had been told of her husband's death. |
The couple, who lived in Cardiff, got engaged during a skiing holiday in the Alps in 2015 and they married the following year. | The couple, who lived in Cardiff, got engaged during a skiing holiday in the Alps in 2015 and they married the following year. |
They ran their own blog Cam and Bear in which they described their love of the outdoors. | They ran their own blog Cam and Bear in which they described their love of the outdoors. |
"We are a young married couple who enjoy nothing more than getting out and having adventures in the mountains together," they wrote. | "We are a young married couple who enjoy nothing more than getting out and having adventures in the mountains together," they wrote. |
"We are not extreme athletes and describe ourselves simply as passionate weekend warriors." | "We are not extreme athletes and describe ourselves simply as passionate weekend warriors." |
Staff at the Cardiff-based outdoor store Up and Under, where Mr Foster used to work, said on their return the couple had intended to convert a van into a motorhome so that they could explore the European Alps for the next 12 months. | |
"Andy Foster was an inspirational member of the Up and Under family," it said in a statement. | "Andy Foster was an inspirational member of the Up and Under family," it said in a statement. |
"His passion for the outdoors, and mountains in particular, was enormous and infectious." | "His passion for the outdoors, and mountains in particular, was enormous and infectious." |
Mr Foster, who studied engineering at Cardiff University, had gone onto work for clothing company Patagonia, where he was described as a "much-loved member" of the team. | |
Mr Foster's death is the first fatality from a rock fall in the park in four years, according to the parks service. | Mr Foster's death is the first fatality from a rock fall in the park in four years, according to the parks service. |
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We're providing support and assistance to both families following this tragic event and remain in contact with local authorities." | A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We're providing support and assistance to both families following this tragic event and remain in contact with local authorities." |