British man dies after falling 90m off Sydney cliff while trying to watch sunrise

The 25-year-old man had climbed over a fence with a group of friends for a better view

Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith
Sunday 07 December 2014 14:30 GMT
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A 25-year-old British man has died after he fell off a cliff edge in Sydney, Australia, which he had climbed with friends to watch the sunrise.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the tourist fell 90 metres to the floor below after he and five friends had climbed a fence on one of Sydney’s northern beaches at 5:30 am.

The group are understood to have climbed along the escarpment before sitting beside the cliff to watch the sunrise, Inspector Nigel Taylor of New South Wales police told the newspaper.

“When they returned to the lookout, the young fella has gone to have a closer look and fallen over the edge,” Inspector Taylor said.

Nine News is reporting the man was a Welsh tourist but police have not formally identified the man.

“To me, it’s just a completely tragic accident,” Police Sergeant Belinda Caddy told the network.

“We really feel for his friends that witnessed this and for his family.”

Two of the man’s friends are understood to have used fishermen’s ladders to reach the man after he fell, but he was found to be unresponsive.

A police helicopter retrieved the man’s body from a rock platform 90 metres below the lookout point.

New South Wales police said in a statement that four people who witnessed the incident are now speaking with investigators.

The Foreign Office said it is in touch with local authorities and ready to provide consular assistance to the family.

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