A pregnant teacher was traveling in Greece when she fell 164 feet down a gorge. She later died in the hospital. Clara Thomann, 33, was six months pregnant at the time of the tragic accident, multiple outlets reported. Two days before Christmas, Clara and her partner, Elliott Finn, were on a hike. They were on a trail near Preveli Monastery on the island of Crete. She slipped and fell into the gorge.
Her partner called for help, and when first responders rescued her, she appeared to still be conscious, SF Gate reported.
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The rescue effort took hours.
Local first responders, including more than 20 firefighters, rushed to help Clara, who was a science teacher at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. According to the Greek Reporter, Clara fell into an inaccessible area, making the rescue effort more challenging. On December 24, Greek news outlet Neakriti shared video footage of the rescue efforts.
She was rushed to the hospital.
Though she lost her unborn baby in the fall, Clara was still alive and conscious when first responders rescued her. They transported her to a local hospital in Rethymno. Then, she was transferred to the intensive care unit at Chania General Hospital, SF Gate reported.
Tragically, just days after her fall, doctors pronounced her dead “despite the best efforts of everyone involved,” per the Greek Reporter.
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She was a registered organ donor.
Clara’s liver, kidneys, and corneas were donated for transplants in Greece, as she was a registered organ donor in the United States. “The Administration of Chania General Hospital expresses its deep and sincere condolences to the donor’s family and bows to their greatness of soul and humanitarianism,” a statement read, per the Greek Reporter.
Her family shared that she “loved helping and teaching others,” so “naturally, she is an organ donor.”
Her family is understandably 'heartbroken.'
Veronica Katz, a family spokesperson, said some of Clara’s loved ones traveled to visit her before her death. “Life can be random and painful but we know that Clara would want us to all learn from this terrible experience and use it as ‘una excusa para juntar y celebrar,’” Veronica wrote on CaringBridge, per SF Gate. “Clara loved this Thomann family motto. Making ‘excuses to gather and celebrate’ with family and friends for whatever minor or major reason.”
The school community also shared heartfelt messages.
“I appreciated the leadership she showed in her classroom and how she made physics fun and interesting and the love that each student felt from her,” the parent of one student wrote, per the New York Post. “She will be missed but never forgotten.”
Bill Woodard, the principal at the school Clara taught at, said “there are no words to describe the sadness we are all feeling.”
“Ms. Thomann was so kind and such a great teacher who loved her students and loved science,” the principal told Noozhawk. “Our hearts break for her family and for all of us who are feeling this loss.”
