Teen Hiker Falls To His Death Trying To Take Selfie On A Cliff In Yosemite National Park
A teenage hiker fell to his death while trying to take a selfie on a cliff at Yosemite National Park, the second person to die in a cell phone-related mishap in just a matter of days and the latest in a spate of selfie deaths.
The deceased hiker was identified as Tomer Frankfurter, who The Times of Israel reported was an Israeli national visiting the park. The boy’s mother said he slipped while trying to take a selfie on Nevada Fall, a cliff with a fall of close to 820 feet.
Park officials did not have any more details about the teen’s death, but does warn hikers about dangerous conditions and rugged terrain. The area where he died is part of a popular hiking path.
The teen’s death came just a few days after a 15-year-old girl died while trying to retrieve her cell phone from a fire escape where it had fallen, ABC News noted. The girl slipped while trying to reach the phone, falling to the street below.
A number of others have also died while trying to take dangerous selfies. In India, a man driving home from his wedding earlier this year spotted an injured bear and decided to take a selfie with it. Though the man’s friends objected, Prabhu Bhatara pushed forward, but ended up being mauled to death. As Independent reported, the man’s friends were actually filming from a safe distance and caught the horrific attack on camera.
Earlier this year, another man in India was killed when he tried to take a selfie in front of a moving train. As the BBC noted, the man misjudged how close he was standing and the train hit him as it passed by. Video of the man’s final moments ended up going viral on the internet, coming as a warning for those who try to take dangerous pictures or video to impress on social media.
Teen falls to death in Yosemite National Park while reportedly taking selfie https://t.co/liiClc1EDE pic.twitter.com/a7vj4UMOY3
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 9, 2018
The problem is particularly sharp in India. Last year, the dating app Tinder even had to ban selfies with animals after a number of men took pictures with a live tiger. The animal rights organization PETA also spoke out against the practice, saying that the tiger selfies contributed to the mistreatment of the animals and created dangers for the people who approached the wild animals.
In Yosemite National Park, officials were able to retrieve the body of the teen who died while trying to take a selfie. His body is being transported back to Israel.
