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PROVO — The woman killed by an avalanche in American Fork Canyon was adventurous and caring, a friend said Monday.
Ashleigh Nicole Cox, 21, was taken off life support Sunday afternoon after being buried in an avalanche Saturday. Cox, from Colorado Springs, Colo., was a School of Family Life student at Brigham Young University. She intended to continue her education in social work, the family said in a statement Monday.
"It has been difficult for us to handle the sudden loss of our daughter," the Coxes said. "Our faith in God has and will continue to help us through this difficult time. She will be missed."
At the time of the avalanche, Cox was snowshoeing with friends near the Tibble Fork Reservoir in American Fork Canyon. The avalanche fell 50 feet, burying her face first in the creek, the Utah Avalanche Center reported.
Cox was not breathing when crews eventually recovered her, approximately 40 minutes after the slide, but were able to resuscitate her vital signs.
Elizabeth Kent, a friend of Cox's, said the woman was friendly and kind in a way she was instantly drawn to. Kent said they met when she went to Cox’s apartment to pick something up for another friend.
“The moment Ashleigh opened the door, I knew to make her my friend,” Kent said. “Just because of her attitude and the type of spirit she had — or aura, or whatever you want to call it — she just put off this vibe that she was very trustworthy, very loyal and very kind.”
Cox loved trying new things, Kent said. Last summer, the student traveled to Romania to work with children in hospitals and orphanages. In a blog post Cox talked about the experience being difficult and life-changing.
She was just the type of person who you wanted to be your friend, because you knew that she would be there for you, that she wouldn't let you down.
–Elizabeth Kent
“Some of the differences are simply the smiles and laughter of the children who wouldn’t change their facial expressions no matter how much I would try to coax them during the first few weeks. The children who didn’t want to be touched that now cuddle up with me,” Cox wrote. “The weak 1-½-year-old little boy who can now sit up on his own. The little girl who can count to 10. The children who can now hold their heads up on their own. These are just a few of the small miracles that I have been able to see this summer. The differences were definitely not all me, but I am so grateful for the small part I was blessed to have in making them happen! This experience has truly changed me, and I will never forget these children and the tremendous impact they have had on my life. I love them.”
Kent said Cox treated her friends in a similar, compassionate way.
“She was just very pure and pure-hearted,” Kent said. “And really, she was just the type of person who you wanted to be your friend, because you knew that she would be there for you, that she wouldn’t let you down.”
Cox's funeral will be held in Colorado Springs on Feb. 15. A memorial service will be held the Feb. 18 in Provo. Further details were pending.
A Pledgie account has been set up in Ashleigh's name to help offset expenses incurred by the family.
Contributing: Becky Bruce
