A man died after falling off the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland while trying to take a selfie, authorities said. The unidentified man was visiting the cliffs, in County Clare, on Friday when the accident took place.
The man was near the main viewing area when he fell, The Irish Times reported. Few details were released about the man's death, though some eyewitnesses confirmed the fall.
"There is nothing to suggest at this stage that this was anything other than a tragic accident," a police spokesperson said, according to The Irish Times. "Initial indications are, having taken statements from a number of people, is that the victim was taking a selfie and lost his footing."
Authorities did not release the man's name. His body was retrieved from the water below the cliffs via helicopter.
The Cliffs of Moher are a popular attraction, towering high above the ocean in County Clare. The cliffs stretch for five miles and reach 702 feet at their highest point. The cliffs' tourism site describes the cliff's edge as "abrupt." Signs at the site warn visitors not to get too close to the edge.
The dangers of taking selfies and other photographs near dangerous tourist attractions has been well documented as of late. A study released by the United States National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health found that there were 259 deaths from taking selfies from October 2011 to November 2017. The study concluded that "'no selfie zones' should be declared across tourist areas, especially places such as water bodies, mountain peaks, and over tall buildings to decrease the incidence of selfie related deaths."
In October, a husband and wife who ran a travel Instagram account died after falling from an overlook in Yosemite National Park. The pair fell some 800 feet from Taft Point, authorities said. Before her death, Meenakshi Moorthy posted an ominous message on their Instagram about the dangers of seeking photos in dangerous places.
"A lot of us including yours truly is a fan of daredevilry attempts of standing at the edge of cliffs and skyscrapers, but did you know that wind gusts can be FATAL???" she wrote. "Is our live worth just one photo?"
