British Teen Dies After Falling 65ft While Taking Selfie At Australian Whale-Watching Clifftop

'He has slipped and fallen over the edge.'
Emergency services at the scene of the accident in Cape Solander, Australia, where a British teenager died
Emergency services at the scene of the accident in Cape Solander, Australia, where a British teenager died
Channel 7

A British teenager has reportedly died after falling up to 65ft while taking a selfie from a popular whale-watching clifftop in Australia.

The unnamed 18-year-old was said to have been with friends when he fell to his death at Cape Solander, 38kms south of Sydney, on Monday.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the teenager was taking a selfie when he lost his footing around 3.30pm local time.

He was said to have been visiting the tourist hotspot from overseas with 15 others. ABC suggested the teenager was part of a religious group.

The youth is the second person to fall from the cliff in the last six weeks.

When the teenager’s friends were unable to reach him emergency services were called and he was later pulled unconscious from the water by Marine Area Command officers.

Spectators watch a surfing event from headland at Cape Solander
Spectators watch a surfing event from headland at Cape Solander
Mark Kolbe via Getty Images

New South Wales Police Chief Inspector Chris Hill told The Sydney Morning Herald that the boy’s death appeared to be an accident.

He said: “They’ve made their way down onto the rock platform.

“At this stage it appears to be a misadventure: he has slipped and fallen over the edge and unfortunately died.”

The Home Office is yet to respond to a request for comment.

According to the National Parks website, Cape Solander is the “perfect vantage point” for whale watching, with June and July listed as the best times to see humpback whales as they migrate to warmer waters.

Briton Louise Benson and her Australian boyfriend Michael Kearns died after falling off a beach wall while taking a selfie in Portugal last month
Briton Louise Benson and her Australian boyfriend Michael Kearns died after falling off a beach wall while taking a selfie in Portugal last month
Channel 7

“If you’re lucky you won’t even need to look far – whales have been known to swim as close as 200m from the coast,” the website reads.

The teenager’s death follows that of Briton Louise Benson and her Australian boyfriend, Michael Kearns, who died in Portugal last month after plunging off a 90ft beach wall while taking a selfie.

Benson, 37, and Kearns, 33, lived in Perth, Australia, and were on a five-month trip when the accident occurred at Pescadores beach in the picturesque resort of Ericeira, 35km north east of Lisbon.

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