A star gymnast has plunged 260ft down a mountain to her death allegedly while taking a selfie during a sightseeing visit to the German castle that inspired Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
Natalie Stichova, 23, was declared dead six days after she plunged nearly 262ft down Tegelberg Mountain in the state of Bavaria, Germany, on August 15.
The tragic fall reportedly took place near the picturesque Neuschwanstein Castle, as the Czech gymnast was trying to capture the perfect Instagram picture.
In an interview with Czech media, 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 metres (262ft). We will never find out whether she slipped or whether a piece of the rock edge broke off.’
Natalie Stichova (pictured on a previous hiking trip), 23, was declared dead six days after she plunged nearly 262ft down Tegelberg Mountain in the state of Bavaria, Germany , on August 15
The tragic fall reportedly took place near the picturesque Neuschwanstein Castle – which is said to have inspired Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty -, as the Czech gymnast was trying to capture the perfect Instagram picture
In an interview with Czech media, 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 young woman was accompanied by two friends and her boyfriend, David, when the incident happened. Police described the route as a ‘challenging climb.’
Local media reported that Natalie initially survived the harrowing fall with grave injuries, and was swiftly airlifted to the hospital by helicopter.
Her family took her off life support due to irreversible brain damage on August 21.
The 23-year-old regularly shared snaps of her trips with her 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.
Natalia posted a picture of her hiking trip to Pico do Arieiro on her Instagram account
The 23-year-old regularly shared snaps of her trips with her Instagram followers, showing herself on top of mountains in her workout gear
Local media reported that Natalie (pictured above during a previous hiking trip) initially survived the harrowing fall with grave injuries, and was swiftly airlifted to the hospital by helicopter
The young woman was accompanied by two friends and her boyfriend, David (pictured with Natalie), when she fell down the mountain
‘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.
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‘You were a great sister and your siblings will never stop thinking about you because you always thought about them, too.’
Natalie’s tragic death comes after a young girl died while taking selfies for her TikTok followers at the top of a waterfall after falling in and drowning while trapped between two rocks.
Moe Sa Nay, 14, was posing for snaps with her friends to share with her 150,000 social media followers when she slipped on the wet stones at the Sinywa Waterfall in south-east Myanmar on July 22.
The teen was swept away downstream by the fast-flowing current and her body was left jammed between two large boulders.
Unable to free herself, Nay drowned as the water crashed around her at the popular tourist destination in the town of Paung in Mon state.
Rescuers dashed to the scene but struggled to retrieve the youngster’s body in time.
Dramatic footage shows volunteers and firefighters battling to dislodge the lifeless girl’s body from the rocks the following morning, on July 23.
Moe Sa Nay, 14, died while taking selfies at the Sinywa Waterfall in south-east Myanmar on July 22 after slipping on wet rocks and falling in to the current
Rescuers dislodged the teen’s lifeless body from in between two boulders the following morning
They were spotted tying her hands with rope and yanking her out of the narrow gap.
Rescue worker Mon Zaw said: ‘The one who slipped reached the bottom, but died after getting stuck between the rocks.
‘She died because she couldn’t get out. They tried to rescue her but couldn’t pull her out. Then the aid organizations and officials came.’
Moe’s body was taken to the Paung Township General Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Meanwhile, her friend, who had also slipped down the waterfalls, suffered only minor injuries.