A 59-year-old hiker plunged 100 feet to her death after slipping on a steep Brazilian trail while applying bug spray – with the horrific tragedy coming just a day after a bungee jumper was killed in a 130-foot fall.
Rosemary Suzart Garcia was hiking with a large group at Grutas do Spar in Maricá on Sunday when she ventured onto a short path near an overlook and lost her balance while lifting her leg to apply the insect repellent, according to Braziliana outlet Globo.
Giovani Maximino, who witnessed the grisly incident, told the outlet that the hiking guide lunged for Garcia’s arm as she tipped over the cliff – but was nearly dragged over the edge in the process.
“The guide tried to hold her and almost fell too,” he said, describing the harrowing moment the guide “threw himself towards her” but only managed to grab onto a “root in the area.”
“It’s a height of approximately [100 feet]. She was just finishing applying insect repellent. It was very fast.”
Maximino said the fallen hiker, from Rio de Janeiro, was wearing safety gear, including gloves, a helmet and other protective equipment when the fatal accident unfolded.
Firefighters later recovered Garcia’s lifeless body at the gruesome scene, the outlet reported.
“I only managed to locate the children, who live in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, at almost two in the morning to give them the news,” Maximino said.
“Until then, we had no contact with any family member.”
The deadly fall remains under investigation.
The incident happened just one day after 21-year-old bungee jumper Maria Eduardo Rodrigues de Freitas died after plummeting 130 feet from a bridge in Limeira, São Paulo without a bungee cord Saturday.
