A German tourist has died following an attempt to snap a memorable photo at Machu Picchu.
ITV reports that the deceased traveller, 51-year-old Oliver Park, fell to his death at the Peruvian landmark. Officials say that Park was in a restricted area when the incident occurred, although reports vary on exactly what he was doing at the time of his 130 ft. plunge. ITV’s report suggests the tourist wanted to leap in the air for his behind-the-boundaries photograph.
Witnesses claim the 51-year-old said: “I’m going to jump in the air – take a photo for me as a memory”, before losing his footing and “falling into a deep abyss”.
A witness Canal N spoke to offered up a moderately different version of events. The fall in the restricted area did occur, but no leaping was involved according to the interviewee. Instead, he claims Park stumbled while trying to hand someone his camera and fell off the ledge.
It took rescuers 90 minutes to reach Park after his fall where he was found dead. Tourist casualties are not unheard of at the popular NESCO World Heritage Site. In 2013, an American tourist lost her life at the site after falling into a ravine.