Caio Arrabal, 44, had been taking a photo at a rock formation when he attempted a maneuverer near the cliff edge and fell to his death in front of horrified onlookers
This is the horrific moment a hiker posed for a photo at the top of a cliff before falling 500ft to his death.
Caio Arrabal, 44, fell to his death from the popular Pedra do Macaco train in Marica, in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, after he climbed onto rocks at the summit on Sunday. A female hiker recorded the moment when the man positioned himself in a narrow gap of the large rock formation.
The hiker then started to make his way down, before turning his body to face the woman. But just as he attempted a maneuverer down, he lost his footing on the cliff edge and fell about 492ft. Emergency crews were called at about 11:40am and a search operation was launched in a bid to find the hiker. Teams worked for about four hours to reach the location and used ropes and air support as the area the hiker fell had limited access.
Arrabal had been part of the group that guided visitors along the hiking trail and it was said to be his first time on the path. Officials said the trail lacks warning signs along the route.
Rescue instructor Matheus Moura said the recovery effort was complex due to the steep ground and dense forest where Arrabal landed. Speaking to local media, he added: “We had to go in through a densely wooded area with extremely difficult access to reach him.
“We had to climb, ascend using ropes and carry out several procedures before getting to the site.” The death is the second tragedy in the Marica area in the last two weeks.
Rosemary Garcia, 59, fell from a clip at a zip-line park at Gruta do Spar (Spar Cave) on June 14. She had been part of a group of 15 people who rappelled inside the cave famous with thrill seekers.
Witnesses claimed she had been wearing safety gear, which included a helmet, gloves and other equipment while she was moving along a route. They went on to claim Garcia fell while lifting a leg to apply insect repellent to her body. She is then understood to have fallen from a height of about 98ft. A guide attempted to grab her but was ultimately unable to stop her from falling.
