Hiker, 21, dies after falling 200m while taking mountaintop selfie
A 21-year-old hiker has died after he slipped and fell while trying to take a selfie.
Richard Jacobson, an avid hiker, was camping with a friend in the Superstition Mountains in Phoenix, Arizona, on Monday when he plummeted 213 metres off a cliff, police say.
His frantic friend called for help around 12:45am and Mr Jacobson’s body was discovered on the trail below.
“Mr Jacobson went to go take a photograph with himself and the city skyline in the background, and he lost his footing, and he slipped, and he fell,” Sergeant Doug Peoble with Pinal County Sheriff's Office told KPHO-TV.
Sgt Peoble said there were so signs of foul play or drug and alcohol use.
“It was just a very tragic accident,” he told Fox 10 Phoenix.
A helicopter was used to recover Mr Jacobson’s body and rescue his friend from the top of the mountain.
“As you can imagine, he was very distraught. He was torn up pretty bad emotionally. We were able to get a helicopter to him,” Sgt Peoble said of Mr Jacobson's hiking mate.
The 21-year-old will be farewelled at a funeral on Saturday, his dad, also named Richard Jacobson, said on Facebook.
“Please come celebrate our beautiful son Richie. We are overwhelmed at the outpouring of love, prayers, and service given to our family during this difficult time,” he wrote.
“Richie will truly be missed, but ALWAYS in our hearts. Funeral services are listed below in the picture. He loved everyone he meet and always looked at the positive attributes in each of us.”
Mr Jacobson’s aunt Christa Jacobson Willey also took to social media to pay tribute to her nephew, calling him an “outstanding young man”.
“We loved being with him. He was always so compassionate and grateful. After each time being with him I always told my kids to be more like Richie,” she said.
“He had a special way of making everyone around him feel loved and important. He’s a gentle giant. We are grateful for the memories we made with him over the years.”
From 2011 to 2017, 259 people around the world died while taking a selfie, according to The Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care in India.
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