"My brother and her boyfriend and her little brother were there when it happened. I understand the boyfriend got her little brother away into the sea to get him from it.
"She was a lively, fun-loving woman, who had her whole life in front of her."
Mr Blackman posted on Facebook yesterday: "About a week ago a friend said there are a few days which change each of our lives forever.
"I am so sorry to say this is one such, and the only thing I can think to do is to ask anyone who knows me to pray with all your might for my niece Charlotte who is god willing fighting for every breath of air in Dorset tonight.
"If I have ever done anything to help any of you I am calling in that favour. Just pray as hard as you can, that they will get her out alive. Just do this please."
This morning he updated the status to add: "Am so very very sad, we lost Charlotte yesterday. We will always remember her. My thoughts are with my brother and his family in their darkest hour. Thank you to all answered my request."
Miss Blackman was a volunteer with Derbyshire Autism Services Group, where she worked one-to-one with people with autism, including children, and help to give their families a break.
The group's manager, Margaret Reeve, paid tribute to Miss Blackman today and said she was a "wonderful, wonderful young woman".
"She was a very genuine person, very warm, very funny, and had a great deal of time for people. She was a very good volunteer," she added.
"People always spoke highly of her, she was very well thought of.
"Charlotte was one of those people who could walk into a room and make everybody smile, she could make you laugh. She was a very dedicated worker."
Mrs Reeve said Miss Blackman had been with the group for a number of years and hoped to go into a career working with people with autism.
Her work stemmed from a deep desire to help, Mrs Reeve said.
Police, the fire service, ambulance service and the coastguard were all called to deal with the landslide at 12.30pm yesterday.
It hit just 400 yards from the Freshwater Beach Holiday Park as scores of holidaymakers enjoyed the hottest day of the year.
Witnesses said Miss Blackman, the oldest of the three siblings, was walking along the beach with her boyfriend and father when they were caught up in the landslip.
The two men were pulled from the rocks by bystanders, but they were unable to locate the woman, who was walking directly under the rock fall, according to reports.
Friends and family of Miss Blackman have placed messages on the social network site Twitter.
Rachel Saunderson tweeted yesterday: "Thinking of my husband's step niece who is trapped under 400 tons of rock and mud in Dorset as a result of a landslide.
"Praying for Charlotte Blackman to come out safely from the landslide. If there is such a thing as a god please be with her now. xx"
She later added: "RIP Charlotte Blackman. She has been found dead after being rescued from Dorset landslide. Heard this from family members. xx
"She was my husband's step niece. Very tragic. xxx"
Search crews used dogs and specialist listening devices to try to find the missing woman amid fears of further rock falls at the site, which is known locally as Hive Beach.
But hopes of her surviving the incident gradually diminished until her body was discovered last night under the 60ft-high pile of rocks.
A Dorset Police spokesman said: "At approximately 9.40pm on Tuesday July 24, search crews located a body on Burton Bradstock beach.
"The body is believed to be that of a 22-year-old woman reported missing earlier in the day following a landslide at the location.
"Next of kin are aware and family liaison officers are supporting the family. The coroner has been informed."
The spokeswoman added: "It is believed the incident was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the family of the victim at this very difficult time."
Emergency services believe heavy rain over the last few weeks combined with this week's heatwave caused the tragedy.
Witness Stefan Mitchell told ITV1's Daybreak programme: "There was a puff of dust, it happened so quickly. We weren't sure if there were people under there, it was awful, so quick, no warning."
Mr Mitchell said he had three young children. "Now I know what can happen, they won't be going down there. We don't know what to say to them, we've found out someone has died as well. My wife's in tears in the caravan.
"I would have sat under there, like the other family. I don't think they've done anything wrong. Now, I can see the dangers."
Asked what could be done to keep families safe, he said: "Maybe a sign down there, stopping them going down that way, or just telling them how bad it is, because it happened in seconds."
Witness Len Muggeridge said he was fishing off Burton Rocks when he heard "a large thunder-like sound".
"We looked up and half of the cliff towards Freshwater had fallen down," he told Sky News. "Within 20 minutes there were people tramping over the top of it and then a second fall occurred.
"I would say somewhere in the region of about 30 or 40 tonnes of rock fell in the first fall and somewhere in the region of about 100 tonnes or more in the second fall."
Mr Muggeridge said there had been two or three big falls over the last 15 years and regular smaller falls.
"All the locals will tell other people to be careful of the cliffs because there is a chance, even when you are fishing there, a lump of cliff could actually come down," he added.
Mick Stead, of Dorset Fire and Rescue, estimated 400 tonnes of rock had fallen in the "significant collapse", covering an area of 20 metres.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario