Annika Ferry: Family release last pictures of brilliant Balgowlah student who died on North Head
The family of a brilliant young university student has released eerily beautiful photographs taken of her enjoying a stunning sunrise just moments before she fell and died in a tragic accident on Sydney’s North Head.
Manly
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The family of a brilliant young university student has released eerily beautiful photographs taken of her enjoying a stunning sunrise just moments before she fell and died in a tragic accident on Sydney’s North Head.
Annika Ferry, 21, and a close friend had hiked to Bluefish Pt, near Manly, early on Wednesday morning to take pictures as the sun came up over Sydney.
Her father, Jim Ferry, provided the four images to The Daily Telegraph, taken on a mobile phone, in order to ”show people the joy she was feeling” at witnessing the beautiful sunrise.
But while she posed for the photos, Ms Ferry, from Balgowlah, struck her head after she fell from a small abandoned military bunker just as the sun appeared above the horizon.
She fell less than two metres onto rocks.
Dr Ferry said his daughter, who was studying renewable energy engineering at the University of NSW, and one of her best friends, Bec Bennett, went for a walk on North Head to take photographs of the sunrise.
They set out at 5.30am to walk through a section of Sydney Harbour National Park near the North Head Sewage Treatment Plant.
Bluefish Pt is popular with sightseers wanting to get a sunrise photograph or look out for passing whales.
“Annika wasn’t doing anything stupid,” Dr Ferry said.
“She was being her adventurous and joyful self. Annika loved sunrises.
“I wanted people to see the photographs of Annika at North Head to show the joy she was feeling watching that beautiful sunrise.”
Ms Ferry died at Bluefish Pt despite the brave efforts of Ms Bennett to revive her using CPR and then the work of ambulance paramedics, who were called to the site at 6.15am.
Along with police and fire and rescue personnel, the paramedics had to trek several hundred metres along rough bush tracks to reach Ms Ferry.
Dr Ferry, a prominent Manly obstetrician, said his daughter, a former student at the Queenwood School at Mosman, “would have a go at anything”.
“She had a passion for the environment and renewable energy. Annika had been to every continent by the time she was 18 years old.
“She was into climbing and running. She played a lot of tennis. She played soccer.
“She just loved life. Light sparkled from her.”
Dr Ferry said his daughter was not only a brilliant student — she made the Dean’s Honours List at UNSW last year — but a brilliant person.
Ms Ferry recently completed a prestigious leadership and entrepreneurship program in Scandinavia and had been working as a part-time maths tutor.
“She inspired everyone around her,” her father said.
Northern Beaches Police are preparing a report into Ms Ferry’s death for the coroner.
It is understood that police will examine whether she slipped and fell or if a piece of the abandoned concrete World War II searchlight emplacement gave way while she was gripping the roof.
In the wake of the accident, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has stopped the public from entering or climbing on any military structure in the national park on North Head.
Ms Bennett was taken to hospital suffering shock and is yet to be formally interviewed by police.
Friends and acquaintances of the family took to Facebook to express shock at Ms Ferry’s death.
“Absolutely devastated to hear this news. Annika was the kindest, smartest and most beautiful soul I have ever met,” one woman wrote.
“My heart goes out to your family with the tragic loss of Annika, who was such a cheerful and delightful girl who enjoyed life,” another resident commented.
Another wrote: “She was a shining light in our little community and we loved her for it. We’ll desperately miss her and she’ll forever be in our hearts.”
Northern Beaches Police are preparing a report into Ms Ferry’s death for the NSW Coroner.
It is understood that police will examine whether she slipped and fell or if a piece of the abandoned concrete World War Two searchlight emplacement gave way while she was gripping the roof.
