A British woman who died in a freak snowstorm in Chilean Patagonia has been remembered as "a star" who "made everything brighter just by being there". Victoria Bond was among five people found dead on Tuesday in Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile after the deadly storm struck.
The public relations consultant from Cornwall was hiking with friends in Argentina and Chile when the weather turned fatal. Two German and two Mexican citizens also died in the snowstorm, according to Jose Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate of the Magallanes region of southern Chile.
'Infectious energy and warmth'
Adam Walker, a friend who worked with Bond on the Walking Cornwall Facebook page, described her death as "utterly heartbreaking". He said: "Victoria was one of those rare people who made everything brighter just by being there. Kind, passionate and full of warmth, she was a little bundle of infectious energy and you couldn't help but be lifted by her presence."
Walker recalled working with Bond on promoting a local festival and pub quiz. "Working with her was always such a pleasure, she was talented, enthusiastic and genuinely lovely to be around," he said. "She became so familiar so quickly that she never felt like just someone we worked with; she felt much more like a friend."
He said Bond had a "cheeky, effortless charm" which "made everyone feel at ease". Walker continued: "It's no surprise she was befriended by so many but loved by all. Her passing is utterly heartbreaking. It's hard to comprehend that someone so vibrant is no longer with us."
Tributes from colleagues
Visit Isles of Scilly, where Bond worked, said the organisation was "deeply saddened". In a tribute, the firm said: "She will be missed beyond words and we are only now just starting to process her untimely passing."
Walker added: "My thoughts are with her family, friends and colleagues, who I know meant the world to her and who loved her so deeply. She touched so many of us in ways we'll never forget. She truly was a star."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
