Dangerous selfies 'can kill you': Tourists urged to be sensible after Grampians death - The Age

Victoria's Police Minister Lisa Neville has urged people not to risk their lives by chasing "extreme" photos for social media after a woman fell to her death in the Grampians on Saturday.

A 38-year-old woman from Craigieburn, in Melbourne's north, allegedly climbed past safety barriers at the popular Boroka Lookout, a cliffside lookout about 600 metres above ground height.

The view from the popular Boroka Lookout in the Grampians National Park.Credit:iStock

The woman fell about 80 metres down the cliff face about 3pm. She died at the scene.

Ms Neville said the incident served as a stark reminder to tourists that ignoring safety barriers or warnings for a social media photo "can kill you".

"What we saw yesterday was a really tragic outcome of behaviour that unfortunately we see too often," she said on Sunday morning.

"We see it on the Great Ocean Road all the time, and often our lifesavers are put at risk having to rescue people who are trying to do extreme photos for social media purposes.

A tourist at Boroka Lookout in the Grampians.Credit:Instagram

"It not only puts you in harm's way, but it actually risks our lifesavers, and our emergency services personnel who have to either try and rescue you or recover a body – and that’s what we’ve seen [on Saturday]."

Ms Neville said authorities could not barricade every dangerous spot in popular tourist areas.

"In the end, we can’t rope off every part of Victoria. People have to take responsibility," she said. "That is dangerous behaviour."

Boroka Lookout's spectacular views have made it a popular destination for both hikers and camera-carrying tourists, and was in the spotlight last year after a man was filmed performing a backflip on a cliff ledge.

Police in the Northern Grampians have previously criticised those trying to get "selfies" at the lookout with "individuals risking life and limb" and "constantly tying up our resources".

"We regularly see dangerous photos and videos geo-tagged to the area where individuals have compromised their own safety to get a particular shot," the Northern Grampians police said in a Facebook post in January last year.

"If you're visiting the Grampians this summer, we're asking you to be vigilant, stick to walking tracks and obey warning signs. No selfie is worth risking your safety."

Police and State Emergency Service volunteers recovered the woman's body from the site on Saturday evening.

Her death is not being treated as suspicious and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMikwFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL2Rhbmdlcm91cy1zZWxmaWVzLWNhbi1raWxsLXlvdS10b3VyaXN0cy11cmdlZC10by1iZS1zZW5zaWJsZS1hZnRlci1ncmFtcGlhbnMtZGVhdGgtMjAyMDEyMTMtcDU2bjE5Lmh0bWzSAZMBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlYWdlLmNvbS5hdS9uYXRpb25hbC92aWN0b3JpYS9kYW5nZXJvdXMtc2VsZmllcy1jYW4ta2lsbC15b3UtdG91cmlzdHMtdXJnZWQtdG8tYmUtc2Vuc2libGUtYWZ0ZXItZ3JhbXBpYW5zLWRlYXRoLTIwMjAxMjEzLXA1Nm4xOS5odG1s?oc=5

2020-12-13 02:55:00Z
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