Couple Dies After Taking Selfie While Vacationing In Portugal

 

International Business Tribune | August 11, 2014

A Polish couple vacationing in Portugal fell to their deaths over the weekend while posing for a selfie with their children on the edge of a beach-side cliff in the latest selfie-related death. Stories of deadly self-portraits are increasing as more and more people use their cellphone cameras.

The Polish family was vacationing at the cliffs of Cabo da Roca on the coast of Portugal, a popular tourist destination near Lisbon, when the parents somehow slipped and plunged off the cliff while posing for a selfie, according to The Independent. The couple's children, aged 5 and 6, witnessed their parents' deaths and are now in the custody of Polish diplomats.

The deaths represent the latest cautionary tale in a growing number of selfie-related fatalities. Earlier this month, a Mexico City man accidentally killed himself while posing for a selfie with a gun. Local police said the man, Oscar Aguilar, did not know the gun was loaded and had intended to post the selfie on Facebook. In June, an Italian teenager fell 60 feet to her death after she tried to take a selfie while on a beach trip. In April, a Russian teenager fell to her death after trying to take a selfie from a railway bridge. In March, a 21-year-old Spanish man died after he was struck by a high-voltage wire while climbing atop a train to snap a picture of himself, according to The Week.

Selfies are especially popular among Twitter, Instagram and Facebook users. Fans of the photo trend include Pope Francis, President Barack Obama, comedian Ellen de Generes and selfie queen Kim Kardashian, who plans to release a book of her best selfies next year.

Roughly 55 percent of all millennials have shared a selfie, while only 9 percent of Baby Boomers have, according to the Pew Research Center.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/deadly-selfie-couple-dies-after-taking-selfie-while-vacationing-portugal-latest-selfie-1655322