A woman, who recently moved with her husband from Jacksonville to start a new life, is dead after a sudden tragedy in Puerto Rico.
Jacqueline Albright died after a surge of water swept her away while on a hike with her husband, Blake, at La Soplaera Waterfall. His sister, Savannah Reinhart, spoke with News4JAX on Wednesday.
She described the couple as true soulmates.
“From the moment Blake started talking about Jacqueline, she was different, she was completely — her heart was so big. She walked in a room and her smile just lit up the whole room,” Albright’s sister said.
The future couldn’t be brighter. The couple tied the knot in December 2021 after living in Jacksonville together for two years.
Months later, they embarked on a new chapter and moved to Rincon, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 4.
Four days later, tragedy struck.
“They were just so excited to start their lives together and officially start planning their whole future,” Reinhart said.
A surge of water knocked Albright and her husband off their feet while hiking through La Soplaera Waterfall. Blake Albright managed to grab hold of a branch -- while the swift water swept his wife away before his eyes.
Her body was discovered by rescue crews the following morning.
“No one could ever prepare for this, and it’s just been absolutely horrendous to think that something like this could happen in such a horrific way,” Reinhart said.
She created a GoFundMe account to raise funds to help cover funeral expenses and unexpected travel.