Tourist falls to death after clifftop selfie goes horribly wrong
A 39-year-old woman has fallen more than 50 metres, after a photo she was trying to take at an idyllic spot went horribly wrong.
A tourist plunged more than 50 metres to her death while taking a selfie from a clifftop viewing platform.
Inessa Polenko, 39, climbed over a barrier then stumbled and fell onto a beach below, according to eyewitnesses.
Paramedics rushed to the scene but the beautician died in hospital.
Tragic footage showed the Russian woman’s body on the beach below the picture spot.
She fell from the panoramic Gagry viewing point in Abkhazia, Georgia which overlooks the Black Sea.
A keen Instagrammer with 9,000 followers, Inessa regularly posted selfies from around the world.
She had shared snaps from her trips to Dubai, Egypt and Russian-occupied Crimea.
The popular beautician worked with clients mainly in Moscow and major Russian resort Sochi, where she lived.
Her funeral is set to be held today in Sochi.
An investigation is underway into the circumstances of her death.
New research suggests taking selfies in similar cases may pose a “public health problem”.
An Australian study found almost 400 injuries and deaths had been reported around the globe as a result of selfies since 2008.
The victims most often were young women in their early 20s, usually on holiday.
In most cases they would fall or drown while taking a photo.
Late last year, a woman was lucky to survive after falling 50 metres down a cliff on Phillip Island while trying to take a selfie.
Phillip Island, about 125km southeast of Melbourne, is a popular tourist destination known for its idyllic beaches, captivating coastlines and unique wildlife.
In 2022, a Melbourne mother fell to her death while taking a photo at the Grampians National Park’s Boroka Lookout.
Rosy Loomba, 38, from Craigieburn, north Melbourne, was bushwalking with her husband and two young boys at the national park when she climbed over a safety barrier to take a photograph.
Her husband tried desperately to pull her back to safety, pulling at her legs and clothes, but was unable to and Ms Loomba fell over the edge.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission
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