Aspiring doctor dies plunging 20 metres at Aussie waterfall

Ujvala Vemuru, aged in her 20s, was hiking with friends at the Lamington National Park on Saturday when tragedy struck.

A young woman who plunged 20 metres to her death over the weekend while hiking at an Aussie national park with friends has been identified as medical graduate Ujvala Vemuru.

Vemuru, aged in her 20s, was taking photos at Yanbacoochie Falls at the Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast Hinterland on Saturday afternoon, when she dropped her camera tripod over a ledge.

Attempting to retrieve it, Vemuru slipped and fell some 10 metres down a slope, before plunging a further 10 metres into the waterhole, the Daily Mail reported.

Medical graudate plunges to death at Aussie national park

Medical graduate Ujvala Vemuru who died at the Lamington National Park.
Ujvala Vemuru plunged 20 metres to her death while hiking at the Lamington National Park. Source: Facebook

Despite the exhaustive efforts of three off-duty doctors who were with her at the time, she died at the scene.

It took rescue crews over six hours to retrieve Vemuru's body, with a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson explaining that multiple crews, including paramedics and firefighters, were deployed to locate her.

Medical graduate Ujvala Vemuru who died at the Lamington National Park.
Ujvala Vemuru was a medical graduate who wrapped up her studies at Bond University in Queensland just last year. Source: Facebook

Ujvala Vemuru was one of WA's 'brightest young minds'

Vemuru graduated with a degree in medicine from Bond University on the Gold Coast just last year.

Her family are understood to be based in WA, where Vemuru lived before moving to Queensland to study.

She was named as one of "WA's brightest young minds" for her exam results in her final year at Willetton Senior High School in 2018.

Crews were faced with a complex rescue at Yanbacoochie Falls in he Lamington National Park. Source: Nine News/ Getty
Crews were faced with a complex rescue at Yanbacoochie Falls in he Lamington National Park. Source: Nine News/ Getty

Following the tragedy, the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation has warned bushwalkers to stay on marked tracks when visiting the national park.

Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

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