Hiker plummets to death after foolish decision compromised his safety for the sake of a selfie

Footage of a hiker sliding down the side of Mount Nama in Sichuan province, China, has gone viral online. Sadly the incident could have easily been avoided had all the safety procedures been followed correctly.

The 31-year-old man, who has been identified as Mr Hong, who was travelling as part of a group in the region. The man’s cousin told news outlets that it had been his first time attempting to hike the mountain which may explain why he made such a deadly mistake.

One fatal decision led to Mr Hong’s death

According to reports, Mr Hong slipped and fell near a steep crevasse after untying the safety rope so that he could take a better selfie with the mountain range. Unfortunately for him, he tripped on his crampons (the metal spikes that go on the bottom of boots) causing him to lose his balance and fall onto the snowy slope with no way to stop himself. He had no ice pick and the slippery surface provided nothing for him to hold and slow his descent. 

In the video he can be seen desperately trying to reach out for anything that could save him but eventually he tumbles out of sight, presumably plummeting over the edge and to his death.

Mr Hong fell some 200 meters (or 650 feet) down the slope. Before landing on the hard,rocky terrain below. There was nothing anyone in his group could do as to go after him would risk ending up in the same situation as him. 

One local official claimed that “If the crampons had not been removed and the rope had not been undone, this might not have happened.” There could have been a chance to prevent him from falling, but the decision to undo the rope ultimately sealed his fate.

The hiker was quickly pronounced dead

While emergency services rushed to the mountain there was nothing that could be done to save Mr Hong’s life, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was taken to the nearby Gongga Mountain Town. Sadly, deaths on cold mountaintops are all too common. Earlier this year, a Russian climber died after attempting to reach the summit of Victory Peak, the tallest mountain in Kyrgyzstan.

Rumors circulated that Mr Hong had been a tour guide on the mountain but this claim was quickly dispelled by the Sichuan Mountaineering Association. It seems he was just a tourist who made a poorly-judged decision, ultimately costing him his life. Police are currently investigating the incident.