Student Climbs Over Rock Barrier to Take Photo, Plunges Nearly 100 Feet off Cliff

A student from Oregon State University has died after she fell off a cliff while trying to take a photo on the Oregon coast, according to reports.

Michelle Casey, 21, and her boyfriend had stopped at the Neahkahnie Mountain viewpoint along Highway 101, a popular vantage point for scenic views picture taking, reported KGW 8.

The couple decided to climb over a rock barrier to get a better view when Casey slipped and fell nearly 100 feet down the cliff, police said. Her boyfriend told NBC that she landed on a tree, which prevented her from falling into the ocean.

“She has the most giving, loving heart of anyone I know”

A Happy Valley mother shared precious photos of her 21-year-old daughter, Michelle Casey.

Michelle was studying kinesiology at @OregonState. She died yesterday after falling while taking photos at Neahkahnie Mountain pic.twitter.com/lCeBeKxG5M

— Kandra Kent (@KandraKPTV) May 21, 2019

She was rescued by Life Flight and transported to Legacy Emmanual hospital, where she later died, according to Fox 12.

Casey’s family is now morning her death. Her mother described the 21-year-old as a giving and loving person, according to the news station.

In a statement to NBC, Casey’s family said that she loved being in the outdoors and played a number of sports. She was studying Kinesiology.

“Michelle always brought people together with her bubbly personality and loving, giving heart,” the statement said.

They added that Casey had chosen to be an organ donor, which ultimately saved the lives of two people.

In a similar case, a 20-year-old college student from South Dakota died after falling off a cliff in Arkansas while posing for a photo.

Andrea Norton, a junior at Briar Cliff University, was repositioning herself for a picture at Hawksbill Crag, a popular hiking destination near Jasper, on April 13, when she fell.

Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the Briar Cliff Women’s Volleyball Team with the passing of Andrea Norton. pic.twitter.com/4qJfzykN1U

— Jimmie Volleyball (@UJVolleyball) April 15, 2019

Newton County Sheriff Grenn Wheeler as saying that Norton was with a group of other college students when she died, reported the Associated Press.

At the time of the accident, Norton was on a hiking trip with classmates, according to her obituary.

A 20-year-old South Dakota woman died this morning after she fell off Hawksbill Crag in Newton County. The sheriff says Andrea Norton goes to school in Sioux City, Iowa. She was w/ other students. Witnesses say she repositioned herself for a photo when she fell. pic.twitter.com/D0fhOTO36G

— Stephanie Sharp (@stephmsharp) April 13, 2019

Over 250 Recorded ‘Selfie Deaths’

According to a study from October 2018, there have been 259 recorded deaths of people taking selfies between 2011 and 2017.

Researchers noted that the leading cause of selfie-related death was due to drowning. For the most part, this was on account of people being hit by waves or falling out of boats.

The study, published in The Journal of Family Medicine, also identified other top causes as falls from high places and being attacked posing with dangerous animals.

Over half of the deaths were in India, where the research was carried out by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The other top countries were Russia, the United States, and Pakistan.

Epoch Times reporters Tom Ozimek and Simon Veazey contributed to this report.