The 38-year-old visitor from Craigieburn in Melbourne’s north fell 80m from the picturesque Boroka lookout near Halls Gap, after climbing a barrier about 3pm. Witnesses reported the woman was about to pose for a photo at the time of the accident. The incident unfolded in front of her horrified family.SES and police were working to retrieve the woman’s body on Saturday evening. An SES spokeswoman said because of the harsh terrain they were “looking to the police air wing to winch the body”.“Originally there was a plan in place for us to send a search and rescue team, but then we realised the significance of the incident,” a spokeswoman said.
Family members were at the scene consoling each other on Saturday evening.Carlee Vokes, the manager of Halls Gap restaurant Paper Scissors Rock Brew Co, said customers had reported seeing the woman climbing over barriers at the lookout.“We had heard that it had moved from a rescue mission to a recovery mission late in the afternoon,” Ms Vokes said.“Customers who were at the lookout said they saw the woman climbing over barriers,” she said.“I’ve worked here for 10 years and unfortunately these incidents (people falling) are quite regular.” A British tourist fell to her death at the lookout in January 1999. The woman, 59, was with her husband and other relatives who were taking photos.With views over the Halls Gap valley, Boroka Lookout is a popular place for tourists to take memorable snapshots. There are more than 6000 Instagram posts tagged at the spot, 15km from Halls Gap. A person had tagged themselves in a photo sitting on a ledge at the location at lunchtime on Saturday. It’s not believed that person is linked to the woman who died.Video emerged on social media in May 2019 of a man performing a backflip on a cliff ledge. While the man in the video made it to safety, his actions were condemned at the time.Stawell SES controller Alan Blight told media: “It is just crazy, people have died falling from that ledge in the past”.Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Source link