Woman dies in cliff fall at infamous selfie spot Diamond Bay Reserve
Tourists have continued to climb safety fences in order to take selfies at Diamond Bay Reserve in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, despite the death of a woman, in her 20s, who fell while watching the sunrise. Another woman fell and died at a nearby location in August.
NSW
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A female tourist, in her 20s, has died after falling off a cliff at a popular eastern suburbs selfie spot — only five months after a similar death nearby.
Police believe the woman fell off the cliffs just 400m from where another woman died late last year.
Less than 12 hours after the tragedy, which occurred about 6.30am on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph saw tourists continuing to risk their lives for a photograph at the same Vaucluse location.
It is understood the woman who died on Sunday had been at a party in Vaucluse on Saturday night before leaving with a group of seven other people to watch the sunrise at Diamond Bay Reserve.
It is believed members of the group climbed over a fence to sit near the edge of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. NSW Police said the woman fell around 6.30am.
“Emergency services were called to Diamond Bay Reserve after reports a woman had fallen off a cliff,” a NSW Police spokesman said.
“Officers from Eastern Suburbs along with NSW Fire and Rescue and NSW Ambulance commenced the search, with Marine Area Command and Polair.
“Just before 10.30 a body of a woman believed to be aged in her 20s was retrieved.”
The woman has not been formally identified and police have not yet been able to contact her overseas family.
It is the second death in five months at the popular selfie location, after a 27-year-old woman died nearby in August.
Only last week, Waverly mayor Paula Masselos told The Daily Telegraph she was gobsmacked people were continuing to trespass on the dangerous cliffs.
Today she said urgent talks would begin on Monday on possible new measures to stop people climbing over security barriers.
“I’ve already asked the general manager and we’re having a meeting tomorrow to discuss it. It depends in part on what the police investigation reveals,” Ms Masselos said.
She said the council had already increased security after the death of a 27-year-old woman in August.
“Extra patrols, more signs, the fencing we increased as well … when the rangers tell people not to go over boundary fences they don’t listen, they go further down and go over boundary fences further down.
“We’re pretty devastated to learn this news (the latest death).”
On Sunday, tourists continued to flock to the area and even risk their safety climbing over fences protecting them from the edge of the cliff.
The Daily Telegraph saw a man and his female companion climb over a guard rail to pose for a photograph.
The woman squatted down on the cliff edge in high winds while her partner stood on the railing with his camera.
A group of male tourists also ignored the warning signs and stepped over a brick fence and take photographs of their friend.
Two of the men stood on the edge of the cliff while another friend crouched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the water.
When asked by The Daily Telegraph why they were doing this they said they didn’t care and that they won’t fall.
Locals said they were upset about tourists risking their lives for a social media post.
David Angot, 36, has only lived in his apartment overlooking the Diamond Bay Reserve for three months but two women have now died by falling off the cliffs in that time.
He said he was woken by the helicopters searching for the woman’s body this morning.
“It was full on. There was a helicopter, two maritime boats and a jet ski all searching the water,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“There was a big crowd but no one knew what happened this morning. I said to my girlfriend another person has probably fallen off the cliffs.”
He said dozens of tourists routinely climbed over fencing to sit on the cliff’s edge.