Two NHS nurses have been killed at the Grand Canyon after a horror car crash with a bus while visiting the site.
Tatiana Brand, 30, and Raquel Moreira, 28, nurses at Southampton General Hospital, were said to have been killed instantly during their holiday of a lifetime on February 3.
According to local reports, the driver of their vehicle performed a U-turn while on State Route 64 in Arizona when it was struck. The road acts as a gateway to the canyon.
The nurses were sat in the rear. No one on the bus was injured.
The 'kind and talented' nurses emigrated to the UK from their home country Portugal.
They had spent years planning their ill-fated road trip across the US and posted pictures of their travels in the days before the collision.
A video montage posted on social media by Ms Moreira just two days before the crash shows the pair smiling and laughing as they travelled across California, visiting Hollywood and Universal Studios.
Their NHS colleagues at Southampton General Hospital today paid tribute to them.
Gail Byrne, chief nursing officer, said: "The entire nursing family at University Hospital Southampton [NHS Trust] has been left shocked and saddened by the tragic deaths of two much-loved colleagues as they enjoyed a holiday together in America.
"Tatiana, 30, joined the Trust seven years ago and was a highly respected member of the neurology department.
"Raquel, 28, had worked at UHS for the past five years and was a very valued part of the stroke ACP team.
"Both had chosen to move from Portugal to join UHS and had bright careers ahead of them.
"The friends were well-known for their kindness, empathy and enthusiasm.
"Both were passionate about nursing and providing the very best care for our patients.
"Outside of work they shared a love for new experiences, adventure and living life to the fullest.
"I know I speak on behalf of the entire UHS workforce in saying they will be sorely missed.
"We send our love and condolences to their families at this very sad time."
The tragic incident comes just days after a climber died after falling 600ft from a Snowdonia mountain ridge.
Jack Carne, 23, from North Wales, was hiking with two friends when his handhold broke, which he was using to pull himself up, causing him to fall.
Mountain rescue services were rushed to the scene and recovered the victim's body with the help of a coastguard helicopter on February 5.
Chris Lloyd, the chairman of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation (OVMRO), said the incident was a "tragic accident and very, very unfortunate".
Heartbroken friends and family of Jack called him a "true gentleman" and the "nicest lad you'll ever meet".
