The wife of a man who died in a horror rock climbing accident has written a devastating letter thanking her “best friend” for the time they spent together.
Daniel Heritage, a 28-year-old Australian man, died after falling in Calgary’s Rocky Mountain’s last Wednesday while on a trip with his wife Emma.
The fatal fall happened in front of Mrs Heritage, who held her husband in her arms as he passed away.
Now, Mrs Heritage has honoured her late husband with an emotional tribute.
"You were my best friend, love of my life and adventure buddy,” she wrote.
“Thank you for bringing so much joy into my life and helping me realise that I was more capable than I think.
“Thank you for inviting me into your world where anything was possible and each day was an opportunity for a new adventure.”
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Mrs Heritage went on to describe how her heart “longed” for Mr Heritage, adding that she would “do anything” to be slow dancing to their wedding song, joking around together, exploring the world or “sitting in silence reading books/movies together”.
Mrs Heritage wrote of how she was upset she would no longer grow old with her husband, but felt privileged to have known him.
“You were the best husband I could have ever asked for and whilst I don't know what the future looks like for me at the moment, I do know that you had a great last few months,' the letter continued.
“You were dearly loved by so many people who had just met you and those lucky enough to have known you for many years.”
Mrs Heritage signed off by saying that she loved her husband “now and forever”.
Mr and Mrs Heritage had recently celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary and had been hiking, camping and climbing across Canada’s Rockies since March.
The last photos of the hiking holiday before Mr Heritage’s death showed the adventurer clambering up a frozen waterfall and watching the sunset with wild deer at Sundance Canyon.
He and his wife had planned to live in Canada for two years and had built a home in the Adalaide suburb of Valley View.
The pair were passionate about the outdoors and were constantly planning new adventures, Mrs Heritage’s twin sister Jessica Bartel had previously said.
She claimed Mr Heritage had been one of the most ambitious people she had ever known and said she had felt particularly close to him because she and her sister were twins.
Mr Heritage’s father had flown to Canada to support her as she prepared to fly back to Australia.
Meanwhile, Mr Heritage’s older sister Brianna has paid tribute to her brother, who she said was “always the one that looked out for [her].”
“When I was sad you would let me crawl into your bed. When I was down you would always know the right thing to say. You're still the person I come to for advice,” she wrote.
Mrs Heritage’s twin sister, Mrs Bartel, has set up a GoFundMe page to help her sister pay for funeral costs and other expenses.
“Please continue to pray for Emma and our families as we navigate this lifelong grief,” the page read.
The fundraiser has surpassed its goal of $10,000 (£9,000) with more than $30,000 (£27,000) raised.
