Her sacrifice saved a 4-year-old girl: Julie Coudoumié was killed on Friday July 31 in the Kakuetta gorges in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the town of Sainte-Engrace, during a rockfall.
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According to the first elements confirmed by the gendarmerie and the sub-prefect of Oloron Christophe Pécate, rocks “ the size of a handball ” were indeed unhooked before hitting a group of tourists. The deceased victim is a 31-year-old woman who walked through the gorges with her companion, who is unharmed. In addition to this death, three injured were identified: a couple and their little girl. It is the latter that a gesture of Julie Coudoumié has saved, according to our colleagues from The Republic of the Pyrenees: by pushing it, the young woman prevented the child from remaining at the place of the falling rocks.
The Pau prosecutor's office said the injured people had left the Pau and Oloron hospitals where they had been admitted.
The mayor of Talence (Gironde) Emmanuel Sallaberry, town of origin of Julie Coudoumié, evoked on social networks a " heroic gesture ": " Friday, in Sainte- Engr Grâce in the Basque country, a young Talençaise woman lost her life following a heroic gesture to save a little girl from a fall of stones "he first announced, before promising that" Talence will be at the side of her family to help them [...] in this terrible and painful test ”.
Strong thunderstorms on Friday, alternating with hot weather, may have contributed to the deadly landslide. An investigation was entrusted to the gendarmerie of Oloron. The latter proceeded to the hearing of the site managers. The gorges are closed until further notice.
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