When Welsh fireman Adrian Smith responded to an emergency call on Sunday, he encountered every emergency worker’s worst nightmare.
Mr Smith attended the scene of a triple-car pile-up to find his 21-year-old daughter Ella’s body being pulled from the wreckage.
Ella had been driving home from the beach at Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire when the accident occurred, The Sun reports.
Her 47-year-old father was on duty nearby when he was called out to the three-car crash, discovering that a car had smashed into the passenger side of the car Ella was in.
The driver, along with a man and woman in another car, suffered serious injuries, but Ella died at the scene.
“It must have been a complete nightmare for Adrian to find his own daughter was the victim,” a family friend said.
“Ella was a lovely girl, they are a lovely family – everyone is in shock and totally devastated.”
Hours after the accident, Mr Smith broke the news of his daughter’s passing by sharing a picture of him and her dancing together at a party when she was a little girl.
“We are utterly devastated at losing our beloved Ella,” the family wrote in a statement released by local police.
“She was a much-loved and caring daughter, sister and granddaughter.
“She was a beautiful girl who will be missed by all.”
Tributes flooded in for the young victim, who worked at a bakery.
A friend described her as a “gorgeous person” while another said she was “the kindest soul you could ever meet”.
“I loved every minute of speaking to you Ella, you never failed to make me laugh,” another friend said.
Police have asked for any other drivers at the scene to share any dashcam footage from the incident, in an effort to find out more about the cause of the crash.
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This article originally appeared on Over60.