Teen falls to death while trying to take a selfie at Yosemite National Park: Reports

Authored by abcnews.go.com and submitted by TheCocksmith

An 18-year-old hiker died Wednesday after falling off a cliff at Yosemite National Park, according to the National Park Service.

Officials did not release details on what led to the teen's death.

The teen was identified as Jerusalem resident Tomer Frankfurter, The Times of Israel reported, citing the country's foreign ministry.

Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Frankfurter's mother told The Times that he slipped while trying to take a selfie at the edge of Nevada Fall.

The fall was an estimated 820 feet, the Fresno Bee reported. Nevada Fall is about a six-hour hike from Yosemite Valley, much of which takes place along the route of the iconic Half Dome hike, according to the Fresno Bee.

His body is being transported back to Israel to be buried, the newspaper reported.

Park visitors are warned to be prepared for rugged conditions and inherent danger from the terrain and wildlife, ABC Los Angeles station KABC reported.

The National Park Service did not immediately return ABC News' request for additional information.

Frankfurter wasn't the only teen to die in a cellphone-related accident this week.

In New York City, a 15-year-old girl died while attending a house party in the Tribeca neighborhood, the New York Daily News reported.

The high school sophomore was on a fifth-floor fire escape trying to retrieve her phone from a room that had been locked by going through the window, according to the Daily News. She then slipped and fell, landing on her back on the sidewalk.

AssholeinSpanish on September 8th, 2018 at 22:25 UTC »

Visited Yosemite a few years back and attended the YOSAR (Yosemite Search and Rescue) presentation. Long-story short:

There are a million ways to die in that beautiful park. You are completely responsible for your own actions and the risk you take. The YOSAR crew is under no duty or obligation to risk their lives to rescue you or, more likely, retrieve your body. A trauma center is very very far away, even by helicopter. Do not fuck around, this is not Disney World.

neiw on September 8th, 2018 at 20:40 UTC »

This reminds me of a quote:

“The primary purpose of your life may be to serve as a warning to others”

de_prodigy on September 8th, 2018 at 19:28 UTC »

820 foot fall? That'd give me a few seconds to evaluate how much I've fucked up.