Home / Disasters and Accidents / Budding Architect Swept Away in Deadly Colombia River Accident
Budding Architect Swept Away in Deadly Colombia River Accident
11 Sep
Summary
- 21-year-old architecture student killed in river accident
- Tour guide made fatal error leading to tragedy
- Family dissatisfied with search and rescue efforts
On August 15th, 2025, a tragic incident occurred in Colombia that claimed the life of a young architecture student. Yudi Alexandra Castellanos Solano, 21, was on a holiday with her family, including her mother, brother, and aunt, when they joined a tour group to visit several waterfalls in the Sierra de la Macarena National Park.
However, the tour guide made a fatal error in judgment. As the harsh river currents proved too difficult to hike through, the guide decided to turn back. But as the group was about to return to the starting point, Yudi fell into the swollen river and was swept away.
A search operation was launched, but it took three days before Yudi's body was found approximately 2.5 miles downstream. Her family has since expressed dissatisfaction with the authorities' handling of the search, claiming the operation was organized by a small group of first responders who lacked the necessary equipment and experience for this type of rescue.
Yudi had just recently graduated from the Santo Tomás University in Bogotá, where she was embarking on her career as an architect. Her university has expressed condolences, stating that they hope Yudi Alexandra can now rest in peace.
