The family of a British climber who died shielding his wife from falling rocks at Yosemite national park have paid tribute to a hero.
Andrew Foster, 32, an experienced climber and outdoor adventurer, was trapped when more than 1,000 tonnes of rock fell from the face of the El Capitan monolith on 27 September during a trip to the Californian park.
Foster was seen running back to the rockfall to protect his wife, Lucy Foster, 28, and dived on top of her, saving her life. He was killed instantly, and she was airlifted to a local hospital, where is now in a stable condition awaiting clearance to return her home in Cardiff, Wales.
The couple were returning from a climb when a sheet of granite about 40m by 20m (131ft by 66ft) plummeted from a height of about 200m (656ft).
In a statement, Foster’s parents and siblings paid tribute to him as “our brave boy”. They said: “Yosemite was a very special place for Andrew and one that he had returned to a few times over the years to climb and explore.
“Andrew’s wife Lucy was with Andrew when the accident occurred and, thankfully, is now recovering in a California hospital with her family around her.
“We really cannot express our grief and still hope, every morning, that we will awake from a bad dream.”
The family said they had been touched by the many tributes they had received. Foster had a passion and enthusiasm for “life and the outdoors that was just infectious for anyone who was around him”, they said.
“As has already been reported, Andrew died whilst shielding Lucy and, indeed, we understand another climber witnessed him running back to the rockfall to protect Lucy,” they said.
“They loved each other dearly and, while our loss is indescribable, we are so proud of our brave boy in saving Lucy; he will always be our hero.”
The family thanked the rescue workers and medical staff who have helped Lucy Foster. They highlighted the first response ranger and paramedic who met them at Yosemite on Wednesday, who quickly rescued Andrew Foster from the rockfall.
“We are still trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation and now just want to focus on bringing Andrew home as quickly as possible,” they added.
“Therefore, we request the time and space needed to focus our energies on this and Lucy’s recovery and to grieve our loss privately.”
Lucy Foster’s family said they were “devastated” by Foster’s death. After the accident, she was airlifted to the trauma unit of a local hospital, where her condition was stabilised. Friends who had been climbing with the couple were able to comfort her until her family arrived.
“Our family is devastated by these events: for the loss of Andy and for the plans they had made together for their future adventures,” Ms Foster’s family said.
“He truly was the man of her dreams. We take some comfort from the fact that Andy’s last act of love saved Lucy’s life.
“Both families are supporting each other at this incredibly difficult time of loss and sadness.”
Foster proposed to his wife, who is originally from Shropshire, during a skiing holiday in the Alps in 2015 and they married the following year.
The couple, who met at Cardiff University, shared a passion for outdoor adventuresand had climbed some of the most difficult rock faces in the UK. Their trip to California was reportedly planned as part of anniversary celebrations.
They had told friends it was their “big dream” to test themselves in the Yosemite national park. They flew to the US on 11 September with friends who were also experienced climbers and had blogged about their preparations and training.
Mr Foster, who grew up in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, before attending Cardiff University, worked for outdoor clothing company Patagonia, and previously for the Up and Under climbing store in Cardiff. He was pictured on Instagram in the national park looking exhausted but smiling on the day before the rockfall.
One witness to the rockfall, Mike Kane, tweeted that the collapse was “very loud”, adding it was a “miracle more [were] not hurt”.
