A 27-year-old woman who had built a life in Britain died after slipping from a waterfall in front of her friend.
Valentina Stragliotto, based in Brighton, suffered catastrophic injuries after reportedly losing her balance while standing on a boulder.
The digital marketing specialist was rescued and taken to hospital but died shortly after arriving.
READ MORE: Man plummets down waterfall and CRASHES into other visitors
The tragedy happened near the popular tourist town of Ella, Sri Lanka, on Thursday (24 September), as reported by Need To Know.
Sri Lankan reports citing police identified the location as Kithal Ella waterfall.
According to Italian media, Stragliotto fell more than 30 metres in front of the friend with whom she was holidaying.
Police said Valentina had been visiting the waterfall when she slipped and struck rocks below.
Rescuers rushed her to Demodara Hospital with serious injuries, but she was pronounced dead upon admission.
Ella Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fall.
Valentina was originally from Bassano del Grappa, in Italy’s northern province of Vicenza, but had lived in Brighton for several years.
Her professional profile described her as a senior search engine optimisation and online advertising specialist.
She was also a certified confidence coach and ran Aligned & Free, a business helping people overcome self-doubt and become more assertive at work.
Valentina had spoken at the BrightonSEO conference and served on the British Interactive Media Association’s Young Talent Council.
She had also worked as a group travel coordinator for WeRoad, although the Sri Lanka holiday was reportedly a private trip rather than one she was leading.
Her company profile said she had visited 33 countries and spoke French, Italian, English and Spanish.
Describing her love of the outdoors, Valentina wrote: “My place is in nature.
“I love hiking and climbing and I especially love waterfalls.”
She also listed climbing, dancing and discovering different cultures among her passions, adding that she was “always up for an adventure or a good party”.
Tributes have since been paid to the keen traveller, who had also competed in gymnastics and tennis while growing up in Italy.
Former classmate Rafael Marchese said news of her death had left him “speechless” and filled with “great sorrow”.
A colleague at WeRoad said the team was “shocked” by the tragedy.
Bassano del Grappa mayor Nicola Finco also offered his condolences to Valentina’s family.
He said the death of a young person was a “deep wound” for the whole community.
Valentina’s parents, Fabio Stragliotto and Barbara Zarpellon, said they did not feel able to speak publicly during the “difficult” period.
Investigations into the precise circumstances of her fall remain ongoing.
READ MORE: Reckless tourist jumps into 80m waterfall to retrieve dropped phone
