She was seen as a miracle baby after being born in a tree which her mother had climbed to escape flooding, but nearly 26 years on Mozambican Rosita Salvador Mabuiango has died after a long illness, her sister told the BBC.
The sight of the newborn and her mother being winched to safety by helicopter amid the deluged landscape became one of the defining images of the Mozambique floods of 2000 – the country's worst ever.
Reflecting on Rosita's life, President Daniel Chapo described her as a symbol for girls in the country.
In February 2000, hundreds died and hundreds of thousands of others were forced from their homes after the Limpopo river burst its banks in southern Mozambique.
Rosita's mother, Carolina Cecilia Chirindza, was one of those caught up in the crisis; she recalled how they escaped the rising waters and the challenges they faced while stranded in the trees.
After Rosita's death at 25, her sister stated she had passed away after a prolonged illness, which family sources indicated was related to chronic anemia.
Her story acted as a wake-up call for the government to improve healthcare services in Mozambique, highlighting the ongoing struggles within the health sector.
Rosita's legacy is one of hope, resilience, and a reminder of the fragility of life amidst the looming threats posed by climate change and environmental disasters.
