A woman fell to her death after losing her balance while applying insect repellent to her leg on a cliffside hike.
Rosemary Suzart Garcia was on a steep trail leading to the start point of an abseiling descent when the accident happened on Sunday (14 Jun) morning.
Witnesses told police she was following a short path to the anchor point, already wearing safety gear including gloves and a helmet.
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According to accounts, as she lifted one leg to apply insect repellent, her supporting foot slipped and she lost her balance, tipping over the cliff edge.
Rosemary, 59, was part of a group of 15 people at the Grutas do Spar (Spar Caves) in Maricá, Brazil.
Giovani Maximino, who witnessed the incident, told local media: “The guide tried to hold her and nearly went over as well. It’s a drop of around 30m (98ft).
“She had just finished applying the insect repellent. It all happened very quickly.”
Firefighters found the victim, who lived in Rio de Janeiro, dead at the scene, as reported by Need To Know.
Giovani said: “I only managed to locate her children at almost 2am to break the news. Until then, we had no contact with any family members.”
The Spar Caves were formed from a mining site where minerals such as feldspar and mica were extracted before it was decommissioned around 50 years ago.
Today, the area is a visitor attraction known for its rock formations, a natural lake, and a cave about 40m (131ft) high used for abseiling.
Police are investigating the case.
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