A Singaporean tourist, Nur Aisyah Binte MD Akbar (39), tragically died after falling off a cliff while taking a photo with her husband. The tragedy occurred at Minnewaska State Park near Rochester, New York, on December 22, 2023.
State police reported that Akbar and her husband, Abdul Rauf Bin Mohd Said (41) were hiking the popular Beacon Hill Trail. They stopped to capture the scenic vista at a cliff edge. Unfortunately, while posing for a photo, Akbar reportedly lost her footing and plunged nearly 70 feet.
Her husband immediately called 911, prompting a swift rescue operation involving a state police helicopter, park police, park rangers, and various fire and EMT personnel. The woman was airlifted to Ellenville Regional Hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries there. According to the New York State Police, the incident remains under investigation.
“My heart is broken into pieces and I don’t know how to piece them back together,” Said wrote on Facebook after his wife’s tragic death. “I’ve been crying non-stop for the last 12 hours and been really distraught by myself now.”
Scientists in Australia have identified selfie-taking as a “public health problem” in a recent study. It shows that there have been almost 400 reported selfie-related incidents globally, with 77 of them happening in the US alone. According to the study, India, the US, and Russia are the biggest hotspots for deaths and injuries from selfies. In 2022, Australia broke the infamous record of selfie-delated deaths.
This tragedy is another sad reminder of the safety precautions near dangerous natural features, particularly when seeking the perfect photo opportunity.
[via PetaPixel]
