Fatal photo: 35-year-old German falls to his death

Bogotá (Colombia) - The German vacationer Tobias F. (†35) wanted to take a selfie during his trip to Colombia - which proved to be his fatal undoing. He fell to the ground and died from his serious injuries.

The holidaymaker wanted to take a selfie on a hill with the sea in the background - that was his undoing. (symbolic image)
The holidaymaker wanted to take a selfie on a hill with the sea in the background - that was his undoing. (symbolic image)  © 123RF/himel59

It was a very special trip to Colombia for the 35-year-old, reports Bild. He was thrilled by the paradisiacal landscape and described his impressive experiences on social media.

He spent time in the port city of Santa Marta on the Caribbean Sea, where he explored nearby tourist destinations such as the idyllic coastal mountain range of Minca.

On October 19, Tobias set off on a hike in the Dumbira forest area near the fishing village of Taganga to discover viewpoints in the area that are known as true selfie hotspots.

When he reached a hill, the 35-year-old wanted to take a snapshot with the sea in the background, but lost his balance and fell backwards.

A robbery was initially suspected

The breathtaking views in Colombia are very popular with tourists.
The breathtaking views in Colombia are very popular with tourists.  © Luis Bernardo Cano/dpa

Hikers found Tobias' lifeless body a short time later and immediately alerted the emergency services, who took him to hospital.

However, the rescue efforts were unsuccessful. He died of cardiovascular arrest as a result of his serious injuries.

As the Colombian daily newspaper El Tiempo reported, a robbery was initially suspected. However, the authorities were able to establish during their investigations that it was an accident.

The German's family was informed of his death and the repatriation of his body to Germany was organized.

Cell phone accidents on the rise

Taking photos with smartphones has already been the undoing of some. Recently, a woman in Australia was stuck upside down in a crevice for hours as she tried to retrieve her fallen cell phone.

In April 2024 , a woman had a fatal accident in Indonesia. The tourist was posing for a photo in front of a volcanic crater when she tripped over her skirt and fell.