A young entrepreneur has died in a freak quad-biking accident on a dream holiday in Turkey – just 48 hours before she was due to fly home.
Tragic Amarna Carthy, 21, was riding the vehicle with cousin Jakadi Clarke, 21, when they plunged into a ditch, killing Amarna instantly on Monday (23/5).
They had pulled onto what they thought was the hard shoulder to let “agitated” drivers behind past them, but careered down the steep verge.
Amarna is believed to have been wearing a helmet at the time, but died from severe head injuries in the horror smash in Fethiye.
Jakadai was rushed to a local hospital with a fractured pelvis.
Devastated mum Tashaka Baumber received the heartbreaking phone call at 3pm on Tuesday (24/5) and flew out with dad Mark Carny at 5pm the next day.
Speaking from Turkey, mum-of-four Tashaka said: “Her friend rang me and said ‘she’s gone’.
“I thought she had been kidnapped and then he told me that she had died.
“Time, everything -it all just stopped. It was just unbelievable to hear those words in the same sentence as my daughter’s name.”
The family, who are Jehovah’s witnesses, hope Tashaka can fly home with Amarna’s body on Monday (30/5).
The singer added: ”I went to see her body for the first time on Wednesday.
“It was the most awful thing but I knew I’d regret it if l didn’t say one final goodbye.
“My only fear is that her young twin sisters will forget her.
“She was like a second mum to them and we’re going to do everything we can to help them remember her.”
Armana lived in Turkey for six months when she was 13, where she worked as a wedding planner.
Tashaka said: “She had wanted the entire family to go out there, but I never thought it would be under these circumstances.
“She knew all of the locals and they are coming up to me in the street and saying it feels like they have lost a sister.
“Nothing will make this better but it helps knowing how well-loved she is.
“I know she is my daughter and I’m going to be biased but some people are just that little bit different and special.
“She was kind-hearted and friendly. She was so strong and I’d like to think her strength is going to live on through us.”
Amarna and Jakadi, of Gedling, Notts., were on a one-week holiday and were due to fly home on Wednesday (25/5).
Amarna, who has four sisters – Kyanne, 12, lvladison, six, and two-year-old twins Ada and Lylah – had just set up a health business with her mum before the trip.
They were driving behind two lorries when cars became agitated at them because they were driving at 25mph, so they pulled over.
Step-dad Craig Baumber, 33, said: “As far as we know, they pulled into the country’s equivalent of the hard shoulder to let the cars pass but they ended up running out of road and going ‘down a verge.”
Amarna was already unconscious when medics arrived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The family have set-up fundraising page on Just Giving to help with the cost of bringing Armana’s body home and her funeral.
They are also raising money to pay for a flight for Jakadi when she is able to lay flat, and have already amassed £8,000.
Craig, who is also a singer, added: “We do not know how much it’s going to cost but it’s already in the thousands.
“I tried to put a modest target of £3,000 and we’ve already passed that.
“Any extra will go towards giving her the best send off she could possibly have.”
Dozens of family members and friends have also paid tribute to Armana on her Facebook page.
Cousin Shana-Louise Smalley, who studies photography at New College Nottingham, said: “Being told that my beautiful, sweet and kind-hearted cousin had suffered an accident on holiday in Turkey and had sadly passed away broke my heart into a million pieces.
”It hurts so much knowing I will never see her beautiful smile or hear her infectious laugh again.
“I will never be able to sit with her and laugh until I cry and listen to her tell me about all of the amazing things she is going to do and the funny things she’s already done.
“You were my rock all through school and my life will never be the same without you.”
And friend Ess Pree commented and said: “So beautiful. So full of life, so full of ambition, so much to offer the world.
“This isn’t real, I refuse to believe it. You was an angel before you left us.”
To donate visit crowdfundingjustgiving.com/
