Madalyn Davis selfie death: British backpacker plunges to her death while posing for photos along popular cliff at Diamond Bay Reserve, Sydney, Australia.
A British backpacker has plunged to her death from a popular selfie spot in Sydney, Australia while posing for photos.
Madalyn Davis, 21, a make-up artist from Lincolnshire died after falling off a 98-foot-high cliff at Diamond Bay Reserve at around 6:30am, according to police.
The tourist had been at a party in Vaucluse in Sydney‘s well to do Eastern Suburbs on Saturday night, before she and seven friends decided to head to the cliffs in the early hours on Sunday.
They are believed to have climbed a fence to sit on the edge of a cliff to watch the sunrise the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The thirst for the perfect selfie – but at what cost?
NSW Police said that emergency services, including Pol Air and the Marine Area Command, were called at 6.30am.
Madalyn’s body was found in the water four hours after the police were called.
The British backpacker had arrived in Australia from Lincoln late last year, having previously visited Thailand during her travels.
Her death is not the first to have happened on the cliffs, which are a hotspot for tourists looking to take Instagram photos. Last August, a 27-year-old fell to her death, with witnesses at the time telling police that she may have been taking photos.
The more daring and original such images are the more validation social media creators receive- leading to a greater following and the potential to earn lucrative endorsements on the social media profile.
Free spirit remembered:
Madalyn’s abrupt death follows her mother, Rebecca Smith, desperately tried to get ahold of her daughter, Sunday afternoon, posting online: ‘Anyone seen Maddie? Not been able to get hold of her please get in touch if you were out with her last night.’
By Monday morning, however, the parents had confirmed Madalyn – who was described as a ‘free spirit’ and ‘beautiful inside and out’ by friends online – having died.
Another family member posted: ‘Thank you for all your beautiful condolences for Madalyn Davis and her family – it is an absolute tragedy to which nothing has been confirmed.’
Tributes to the backpacker flooded social media, with one person writing: ‘Such a beautiful soul, you just loved living life to the fullest, you was one of the nicest people, the most beautiful! you’ll be missed soo much, you really was taken too soon.’
Police said in a statement that they are currently investigating Madalyn’s death. ‘An investigation is underway. A report will be prepared for the coroner.’
