Natalie Stichova, Czech gymnast falls 260ft to her death taking selfie along Germany’s Sleeping Beauty castle, the Neuschwanstein Castle at Tegelberg Mountain in Bavaria. Family turns off life support.
An acclaimed gymnast from the Czech Republic plunged 260ft to her death alongside a famed mountain in Germany while taking a selfie while hiking with her boyfriend and two friends, Czech media reported.
The tragedy is said to have occurred on August 15th during a sightseeing visit to the famed German castle that inspired Walt Disney‘s Sleeping Beauty, at the Neuschwanstein Castle.
Natalie Stichova, 23, was declared dead six days after she plunged nearly 262ft (80 meters) down Tegelberg Mountain in the state of Bavaria, Germany, on August 15.
Capturing the perfect selfie …. but at what cost?
The tragic fall reportedly happened as the star Czech gymnast was trying to capture the ‘perfect Instagram picture.’
Police described the route as a ‘challenging climb.’
A friend of Natalie’s disclosed that she had been standing very close to the edge of the mountain when one of her legs appeared to slip off the edge while setting up the shot in front of the castle.
The friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘She fell from a height of about 80 meters (262ft). We will never find out whether she slipped or whether a piece of the rock edge broke off.’
Natalie initially survived the fall with grave injuries, and was immediately airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
Nevertheless her family elected to take her off life support due to irreversible brain damage on August 21 the dailymail reported.
Former star child gymnast
The 23-year-old regularly shared snaps of her trips with her 2631 Instagram followers, showing herself on top of mountains in her workout gear.
Natalie was a well-known sports star in her home country and had recently started training junior athletes herself.
‘Natalia spread smiles throughout her short life, and that is how we will remember her forever,’ her club, Sokol Pribram Sports Gymnastics, said in a statement.
‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and close friends, sending them strength and support.
‘To honor Natalka’s memory, you are welcome to light a candle at our gymnasium.’
Her mother also paid tribute to her daughter in a post on Instagram: ‘She was amazing, we all loved her so much and we will never stop loving her.
‘I am proud that you were my daughter, my dream girl. You taught me so much. I wish you could teach me more.
‘You were a great sister and your siblings will never stop thinking about you because you always thought about them, too.’
A memorial was created in front of the Sokol building in Pribram, where the former star child gymnast practiced. In 2015, Stichova took fourth place at the national championship among junior girls, and a year later she won the Prebor of the Central Bohemian Region with the Pribram team. Since 2017, she has not actively competed and devoted herself to training.
