Lorena Barrera plunges 100ft to her death trying to take the perfect photo: Did a group of friends purposefully disregard warning signs?
Lorena Barrera a 21 year old Reno, Nevada woman has died after tripping over her flip flops while taking a picture overlooking the base of a San Pedro cliff, just outside Los Angeles, California.
Authorities told of finding the woman at the base of the cliff, 100 feet below, on Friday.
According to CBSLA.com, the woman was with friends at Point Fermin Park, a popular destination known for its scenic views along the coast from atop its steep bluff.
Witnesses said Lorena Barrera climbed over a three-foot wall to get a better view so that she could take a picture of the ocean.
Yet just before she could snap a photo, tragedy would strike as the woman tripped and fell to her death. Friends said she was wearing sandals at the time.
Ironically, Lorena Barrera’s death comes after having just moved to the area from Sparks, Nevada, a small town just east of Reno. It had been her first day in new place of living, Los Angeles.
CBS News 8 – San Diego, CA News Station – KFMB Channel 8
A report via NBCLA told of firefighters were dispatched about 2:10 p.m. to the 500 block of West Paseo del Mar to assist police and coroner’s personnel at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Told Andres Juarez, a local resident: ‘These places are not that stable,’
‘You have to be careful wherever you go especially if you’re just trying to get a good view.’
Visitors to Point Fermin Park are warned about the slippery drop.
‘You can see that it’s a steep ledge,’ said Ashley Guerra, another local resident. ‘It’s unfortunate.’
Offered local, Cecil Reynolds: ‘It happens all the time over here, left and right, a lot of young people,’
‘You see the railing here – tells you don’t go over and try to take pictures. A lot of people take chances – consequences ends up like this.’
Not necessarily understood is why the woman disobeyed warning signs.
Friends of the woman later blamed themselves for not being able to save Barrera. Of question is if the group saw signs warning them to stay away from the cliff.
A report via mynews4 describes the cliff being the site of multiple deadly falls through the years.
Earlier this month, the bodies of a man and woman were discovered at the bottom of the same stretch of cliffs in what police believe was a similar accident.
Not including suicides, fire officials say, about a dozen people a year accidentally fall to their deaths.
