Family mourns Craigieburn mother of two Rosy Loomba after fatal Boroka Lookout fall

A tour guide’s chilling prediction came true after he witnessed selfie-seekers jump a lookout barrier — with tragic consequences.

The tragic news of Rosy Loomba’s fatal fall did not stop tourists flocking to the Boroka Lookout on Sunday.

The Craigieburn mother of two died after falling 80m from the Boroka Lookout near Halls Gap about 3pm on Saturday.

Ms Loomba, 38, has been remembered as a loving mother and wife after plunging to her death in front of her family in a horror Grampians accident.

She had climbed a safety barrier to get to the lookout despite warning signs. Her young family saw her fatal fall.

The day after the tragedy, visitors from across Victoria stopped to pose for pictures with the idyllic Grampians landscape as their backdrop.

While most visitors enjoyed the scenery from behind the safety of the barriers, others continued to put their lives at risk for the perfect shot.

One man laughed as he crossed the barrier to pose on the dangling rock ledge.

Rosy Loomba and her young son.

Ms Loomba was an on-call community support worker.

Boroka Lookout at Halls Gap, where Ms Loomba fell. File image: Eliza Sum

When he made it back to safety, the smile was quickly wiped from his face when he learned what happened at that very spot just the day before.

“I had no idea,” the man said.

Boroka Lookout is hugely popular with travellers because of its breathtaking views.

Graham Wood, who runs Grampian Trike Tours, drives to the popular lookout daily as part of his business.

He told of how daredevil tourists regularly jumped the barriers to get snapshots on the rock ledge.

“While we were here (on Saturday), a man climbed out on to the ledge and I made a comment to my customers that this happens all the time and one of these days, someone is going to fall off. We left, and within half an hour, it had happened,” Mr Wood said.

“Unfortunately, I think it’s a lesson that can be learned by people who come to the Grampians.”

Mr Wood said the tragic death was the tough lesson for those who don’t “use common sense” and stay behind the barriers.

The lookout is popular among daredevils.

Barriers and warnings have not deterred visitors.

DEVOTED MUM REMEMBERED

Ms Loomba’s sister-in-law, Jassu Minal Loomba, said Ms Loomba was devoted to her family.

“She was a good life partner for my brother and best mum for her kids,” Ms Loomba said. “(The family is) still in shock and it’s really hard to believe.”

Ms Loomba lived in India prior to moving to Melbourne.

She had two sons with her husband, Basant Loomba, and worked as an on-call community support worker.

The Loomba family loved the outdoors and often shared photos on social media of themselves enjoying nature, including at rocky lookout points.

Other happy snaps show them at tourist destinations, including the Dandenong Ranges and Gumbuya Park.

Rosy Loomba with husband Basant Loomba and their son.

The Loombas loved the outdoors.

Police Minister Lisa Neville said on Sunday “no photo is worth a life” and urged people to consider their safety over their social media feed.

“What we saw (on Saturday) was a really tragic outcome of behaviour that unfortunately we see too often,” she said.

“Do not take these. It not only puts you at risk but it ­actually risks our life savers and emergency services workers that have to go either to rescue you or your body.”

Ms Neville warned that people were regularly taking risks to get “extreme photos” in precarious spots along the Great Ocean Road and other iconic areas.

She said in some cases people climbed over the barriers, but also warned people needed to take their own precautions.

“We can’t rope off every part of Victoria,” she said.

Ms Loomba climbed over a safety barrier to get a photo.

Her horrified family witnessed her fall.

Boroka Lookout is the site of frequent police and SES rescue missions, as people risk their lives for the “ultimate selfie” — ­including a man who was filmed performing a backflip on the cliff last year.

Grampians police have warned tourists to stick to walking tracks to avoid ­danger.

“One of the issues that is constantly tying up our resources is individuals risking life and limb in a bid to get the ­‘ultimate selfie’,” a police warning read.

“We regularly see dangerous photos and videos geo-tagged to the area where individuals have compromised their own safety to get a particular shot.

“We also frequently work with local rescue teams on missions to bring individuals to safety who have ignored signage and climbed over safety barriers or fencing.

“Our missions do not ­always have successful ­outcomes.”

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