A beautician and popular Instagrammer fell 120 feet to her death in the country of Georgia while taking a selfie. The 39-year-old woman apparently climbed over a safety barrier on the cliff top, only to lose her footing and plunge over the edge.
Eyewitnesses reported that Inessa Polenko fell onto the beach at Gagry viewing point after attempting to take a selfie. Paramedics arrived quickly. However, Polenko died soon after being admitted to hospital.
Polenko was at a popular lookout point overlooking the Black Sea. At the time of her death, the Russian had around 9000 followers on Instagram and regularly posted selfies from around the world.
Selfies are increasingly being regarded as a public health hazard after a report in Australia found that they were the cause of many accidental deaths. Over 400 selfie-related deaths were reported during the 13-year study.
The victims were most commonly women in their early twenties, taking selfies to post on social media. It appears that the act of taking a selfie is riskier than regular photography because the photographer and subject are the same person. Because of this, they are far less aware of their surroundings, concentrating instead on the screen.
Sadly, this is an ongoing problem that doesn’t seem to be getting better. If you’re in a beautiful yet dangerous location and feel the need to take a selfie, be careful!
DIYP sends condolences to Ms Polenko’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.
Image credit: WomEOS, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
[via the daily mail]
