NASHVILLE, TN – A tragic incident unfolded on August 4 at Percy Priest Lake in Nashville, Tennessee, when a mother of three lost her life trying to assist her 12-year-old daughter in the water. Amarilia “Lileana” Vamaca, who only spoke Spanish, was unable to understand the warning signs posted around the lake about the dangerous waters, according to her family.
Vamaca’s husband, Martin Ambrosio, was swimming in a different part of the lake when the incident occurred. By the time he reached his wife, she had already plunged into the water. He recounted the heartbreaking moment when he asked his daughter about her mother’s whereabouts, only to be told that she had already entered the water.
Several bystanders immediately jumped into action to help Vamaca, with some performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Despite their efforts, Vamaca was transported to the hospital and later taken off life support.
The family, who are native Spanish speakers, were unable to comprehend the warning signs posted around the lake due to the language barrier. Ambrosio expressed his grief over the incident, stating that clear signs in both English and Spanish indicating the dangerous parts of the lake could have potentially saved his wife’s life.
The loss of his wife of 15 years has been devastating for Ambrosio. He described her as a cheerful, friendly person who was always smiling and joking. The family has been leaning on their faith to cope with the sudden loss.
In the wake of the tragedy, Ambrosio has been advocating for bilingual signage to protect the Spanish-speaking community. He hopes that this incident will serve as a wake-up call for the need for multilingual safety signs in public spaces.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover the costs of transporting Vamaca’s body back to her native Guatemala. As of Tuesday morning, the campaign had raised over $6,000 of its $10,000 goal.