A 38-year-old woman fell to her death at Victoria's Grampians National Park in Australia as her horrified family watched helplessly. Rosy Loomba reportedly climbed over a safety barrier to pose for a photo when she lost her balance and fell off the edge of the cliff.
When the police arrived at the scene, they planned to engage in a rescue operation but called it off after realizing that Loomba did not survive the 260-foot fall.
"Originally, there was a plan in place for us to send a search and rescue team, but then we realized the significance of the incident," a spokeswoman for the State Emergency Service said.
It took authorities six hours to rappel down the cliff-face and retrieve Loomba's body.
Officials called Loomba's death a tragic accident that could have been avoided.
"My message is: Stop this extreme photo taking for social media purposes," Victoria's Police Minister, Lisa Neville said. "Enjoy what we've got on offer. But you don't need to do it in that extreme way. No photo is worth a life."
Tourists routinely ignore the posted warning signs and take risky photos, a local tour guide told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"I don't know how you can stop it happening, but maybe this incident will help," Graham Wood said. "It's a hard way to get people to adhere to what should be common sense."
Photo: Getty Images