Man Dies After Falling 40 Feet, Hitting His Head While Taking A Selfie

A man reportedly died after he lost his balance and plunged almost 40 feet down while taking a selfie in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The deceased man, identified as 33-year-old Igor de Oliveira Rodrigues Dias, a logistics analyst by profession, reportedly landed his dream job and went to Joatinga Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 10 to celebrate the occassion with a friend, Metro reported.

“In the morning he had signed a contract with a company he wanted to work for,” said his mother Luiza Rodrigues, 60. “So he went out with a friend to have a little celebration on the beach.”

While Dias was at the beach with his friend, Dias decided to scale a massive rock overlooking the beach, so he could take a selfie. After he climbed on top of the rock, while he was attempting to take a selfie, Dias lost his balance and ended up plunging 40 feet to the ground, where he hit his head on a rock.

Emergency services immediately rushed to help him. However, they could not save his life. Dias was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was airlifted out of the area via helicopter, New York Post reported.

Luiza described her heartbreak at losing her only child.

“He was an only child, he studied, he had a whole life ahead of him,” Luiza described her son.

Dias had notably graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and had notched two post-graduate qualifications.

“He died before me, and I don’t accept that. I think that every son has to bury his father, and not the father bury his son. It was a tragedy,” Dias' father, Jonas Dias, said.

Following the tragic accident, authorities issued a PSA warning the public against attempting to take high-altitude glamour selfies and photographs for social media clout.

“We always have to be safe: Never get close to the edge of the rocks. Ask someone to take a picture, if necessary,” cautioned Rio de Janeiro Fire Department spokesman Fabio Contreiras. “Always seek safety first. Don’t risk your life for likes.”

According to a 2021 study by Spain’s Miguel Hernández University of Elche, about 379 people around the world have died while attempting to take a selfie in the past 13 years. India recorded the most selfie deaths with 100 deaths, followed by the United States with 39 deaths.