What was meant to be a hiking trip with her father, boyfriend and a family friend turned out to be a tragic accident for one Singaporean teaching student.
On Tuesday (May 10) afternoon, Cheng Shi Min fell 20 metres down a cliff at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains in Sydney, Australia.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the 29-year-old’s boyfriend, Mr Henry Yendle, said that Ms Cheng lost her footing while peering over the edge of the waterfall.
He said: “Essentially she was looking over the edge of the top of the falls up there, and she slipped down. First I sort of just heard a scream and then a loud bang.
“I rushed down, along with her father, as quickly as we could. I tossed basically everything out of my pockets and jumped in the pool and I found her lying face-down in the water. I flipped her over as quickly as possible and tried to pull her out,” he added.
Mr Yendle also said that there were a few people nearby when the accident happened about 1.30pm and they helped to call for an ambulance after hearing him scream for help, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
According to Daily Mail, strong winds prevented a helicopter from reaching Ms Cheng and she had to be carried by rescuers for more than six hours before she was eventually taken to the hospital. Along the way, the rescuers tried to treat her injuries.
Cheng was taken to Westmead Hospital but succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday (May 11).
The Valley of Waters area, where Wentworth Falls is located, has been the site of many accidents, reported Daily Mail.
In 2008, a woman died after she fell while walking the Valley of Waters track. Another British tourist, Josh Furber, fell 300 feet to his death at Wentworth Falls in 2013.
stephluo@sph.com.sg
