College Instructor and Mom of 2 Dies After Cable Car Breaks Loose: ‘A Tragic Loss for All of Us’

A college instructor died in Portugal after a cable car derailed, killing 16 people and injuring 21 others.

According to a statement from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Dr. Heather Hall, a mother of two and a faculty member in the Department of Teacher Education, specializing in literacy and special education, died in the accident on Wednesday, Sept. 3. She was 51, according to the Post and Courier.

The Associated Press reported that a 19th-century streetcar in Lisbon derailed during the evening rush hour. The cable car, called the Elevador da Gloria, was damaged after it crashed near a building where the road curves.

Among those who died were five Portuguese citizens, three British, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one French, one Swiss, and one Ukrainian, police said.

“This is a tragic loss for all of us,” School of Education Dean Fran Welch told PEOPLE. “Heather’s death happened while she was in Lisbon to speak at a conference.”

Welch added, “As an alumna of the College (‘97) and a dedicated instructor in special education, she shared her love of travel with her students. Her energy, kindness, and dedication to her students will be deeply missed.”

Hall was a Fulbright Scholar in Ghana and a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities, serving on the Charleston County Disabilities Board.

The college wrote, “Heather learned how to understand and celebrate other cultures. She shared her love of travel with her students on study abroad trips to Italy and was planning future learning experiences in Iceland and Belize.”

She was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and earned college degrees from around the state as a first-generation college student, including a doctorate from the University of South Carolina. Hall also worked as a special educator in the Charleston County School District, supporting both children and adults with disabilities.

Her family described her as “a beloved daughter, sister, mother, educator and advocate” who “passed away doing what she did best — living life fully, boldly, and with a heart wide open to the world.”

“She didn’t just have friends — she had soul-deep connections with people who felt truly seen and cherished by her,” they wrote. “To know Heather was to be known and loved in return.”

“She believed deeply in the power of education to change lives, and she poured her wisdom, joy, and belief in others into her students and colleagues alike,” her family added.

Speaking to the Post and Courier, Bridget Miller, a longtime friend, said Hall was also a supporter of the arts and performed with a local group called Heart: An Inclusive Arts Community. She also appeared in Outer Banks and The Righteous Gemstones as an extra.

According to Miller, Hall worked on her dissertation between takes on TV sets, writing until a crew member called, “Teacher lady, we need you.”

“Whether she was onstage singing and dancing, or traveling across the globe — from France to Ghana to Central America — Heather approached life with enthusiasm and curiosity,” her family wrote.

“She taught all of us that the hardest part of stepping into a new experience is simply showing up — and once you do, the world opens wide. Her life was extraordinary, not only in her accomplishments but in the way she loved and lived,” they added.

Hall’s family also shared how much she loved being a mother, saying her “most cherished role was being a mother to two amazing children.”

“She believed in them with all her heart and wanted nothing more than for them to live fully — finding their purpose, trusting themselves, and being open to joy, adventure, and the wild possibilities of life,” they wrote.

The College of Charleston told PEOPLE that students affected by Hall’s death can get help through the Counseling Center. Faculty and staff may contact AllOne Health.

“Heather Lynn Hall leaves behind a legacy of love, courage, inclusion, and joy,” her family concluded. “May we honor her by living as she did — with curiosity, compassion, and open hearts.”