Family photo that was a real cliff hanger …
POSING for a photo perilously close to a cliff edge, this family yesterday seemed to be oblivious to the risk they were taking.
They appear distinctly unperturbed as they lean over the edge of the 531ft drop, determined to take pictures of themselves enjoying the sea views and chalk cliffs.
A woman who appeared to be the mother of one of the children held the young boy’s back as she looked into the camera. Meanwhile, a man leant towards the drop to get a better shot of the pair on his smartphone.
Coastguards at the Beachy Head cliffs in East Sussex, where the family were taking photos, have dealt with a number of recent cliff falls which have prompted them to warn tourists to avoid the cliffs, adding: ‘No selfie is worth risking your life for.’ This picture was taken just hours after coastguards recovered the body of a person who had driven a car off the edge of Beachy Head.
The coastguard joined Sussex police, the RNLI and East Sussex Fire and Rescue on the scene.
A spokesman for Sussex police said the car had been found and a recovery operation was under way.
Thrill- seekers have previously been spotted balancing on the edge of unstable cliffs while taking selfies.
In June 2016, some 50,000 tonnes of chalk gave way and collapsed into the sea at Birling Gap – part of Seven Sisters national park near Beachy Head. The dramatic collapse killed a woman in her 20s.
The cliffs at Seaford Head in East Sussex were hit by three unexpected collapses in just two days. Rescuers found the body of a woman in her 20s who was believed to have fallen from a clifftop around the time of the dramatic rockfall. However, instead of deterring visitors, the scene of the collapses created a tourist boom in the town – with some sightseers admitting they travel long distances to view the spectacle.
‘No selfie is worth risking your life’