>
The latest photo of two American exchange students who died tragically in South Korea’s Halloween stampede has surfaced when a victim’s father revealed he texted his son less than an hour earlier urging him to “stay safe.” to be’.
Anne Gieske, 20, posted a smiling selfie with Steven Blesi, also 20, during a hike near the Hallasan volcano just hours before they were killed in the crush on October 29.
Gieske, who celebrated her birthday on Friday, was a junior attending the University of Kentucky nursing program.
Hours after her tragic death was reported, Blesi’s family said they had been notified that he was also one of 156 who died. He was a junior at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
Blesi’s father said he texted his son half an hour before the stampede and said, “I know you’re out and about. Be safe.’
Tragically, he never received an answer from his son.
Anne Gieske posted the smiling selfie with Steven Blesi just hours before the horrific crush that claimed both their lives
The pair of American exchange students were part of a group enjoying a seven-hour hike at South Korea’s Hallasan Volcano
Anne Gieske, a junior at the University of Kentucky, was killed in the stampede in South Korea on Saturday night
Both Gieske and Blesi participated in study abroad programs at their respective schools.
The incident happened when the crowd at the Halloween Saturday night’s event became unmanageable and rippled, triggering a deadly stampede.
About 100,000 people attended the South Korean event.
Representatives from the University of Kentucky said two other students are also studying abroad in South Korea. Both other students have been charged.
The university’s president, Eli Capilouto, confirmed the two others are safe at this time.
“We have been in contact with Anne’s family and will offer every possible support now and in the coming days as we deal with this indescribable loss,” Capilouto said.
“We will be there for those in our community who knew and loved Anne. We also have nearly 80 students from South Korea in the UK, members of our community, who need our support,” the university president continued.
In August, Gieske set up an Instagram account to detail her adventures in South Korea.
Hailing from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, Gieske graduated from Beechwood High School in 2020. From 2015 to 2020 she was a member of Beechwood’s marching band.
Her parents, Dan and Madonna, said in a brief statement that their daughter was a devout Catholic. The family added: ‘We are heartbroken and heartbroken at the loss of Anne Marie. She was a bright light that everyone loved.’
Steve Blesi’s father posted this photo of his son on Twitter as their family frantically searched for information on his whereabouts when news of the stampede emerged.
Blesi’s father, Steven Blesi, 62, of Marietta, Georgia, told… the New York Times that their family was contacted by the US embassy in Seoul on Saturday night and told the tragic news.
Earlier, Steven Blesi had tweeted with a photo of his son as the family begged for information. After the confirmation, he tweeted: “Thank you for the outpouring of love. We need time to grieve.’
In his interview with the Times, Steven Blesi described the pain of his son’s death. He said, “It was like being stabbed a hundred million times at once. It was like your world collapsed. It was numb and devastating at the same time.’
He said his son was studying at Hanyang University at the time of his death. Steven Blesi added that his son wanted to do business in East Asia after graduation.
He joked in his interview with the Times: ‘My wife is Latin, but he didn’t want to go to Latin America. He was actually learning Korean in addition to Spanish. He wanted to speak more languages than my wife.’
In addition to his father, Steve Blesi is survived by his mother, Maria, and his brother, Joey. Heartbreakingly, his father told the Times, “I texted him maybe half an hour before this all happened, and I said, ‘I know you’re out there. Be safe.’ I never got an answer to that.’
Kennesaw State University said in a statement: “Kennesaw State University officials were deeply saddened to learn that KSU student Steven Blesi was one of more than 150 people tragically killed in this weekend’s Halloween incident.” in Seoul, South Korea.”
The school added that a total of 11 students from Kennesaw State University are currently studying in Seoul. The statement said all other students are safe and accountable.
The school’s principal, Kathy Schwaig, said: “On behalf of the entire Kennesaw State community, our thoughts and prayers go out to Steven’s family and friends as they mourn this incomprehensible loss. We have been in contact with Steven’s family and have offered them all the resources available from the university.’
Gieske was one of three University of Kentucky students studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, according to school representatives
Some reports to indicate that the majority of the victims of the incident were teenagers and individuals in their twenties.
The party took place in downtown Seoul and came to a head when the massive crowd tried to run through narrow corridors and trample others.
A horrifying post-incident video shows a firefighter in South Korea shaking as he gives a press conference about the Halloween stampede that killed more than 150 people.
Another 82 were injured in the stampede, the group announced on Sunday.
Yongsan’s fire chief, Choi Seong-beom, appeared to be shaking as he briefed the media on the stampede that left at least 153 dead in Seoul.
Spectators, police and paramedics gathered where dozens of people went into cardiac arrest in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon
The “heartbreaking” video, shot just hours after the fatal incident, shows the exhausted rescuer trembling slightly while holding the microphone.
Online, people responded to the video to share their condolences with Choi Seong-beom and other first responders who attended the traumatic incident.
More than 1,700 first responders were deployed from across South Korea to respond to one of the deadliest crowds in recent history – including about 520 firefighters, 1,100 police officers and 70 government employees.
More images looking out over the street showed dozens of rescuers desperately working to administer CPR to victims lying in the street.
Left: The alley can be seen early on Sunday morning. It remained cordoned off as police continued their investigation into the tragedy. Right: The same alley can be seen shortly before the crush. Hundreds of people are shown packed
Dozens of injured or killed reportedly went into cardiac arrest.
At least 19 of them are foreigners.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a week of national mourning, saying the deadly stampede “should not have happened” after visiting the site earlier today.
“A tragedy and disaster has occurred in central Seoul that should not have happened,” Yoon said in a national speech, promising to “examine the incident thoroughly” and ensure it could never happen again.
Reports from last night also describe how some revelers continued to party in the neighborhood after the crush – despite desperate pleas from police to go home.