By Nicholas McEntyre
A 42-year-old British man plummeted 300 feet to his death in Austria after slipping off a ladder bridge in the Dachstein Mountains, a popular place tourists flock to for a good Instagram photo.
The unknown victim was alone on the famous 130-foot ladder when he experienced trouble and fell into the valley below, according to the Mirror.
The ladder connects the lower portion of the Donnerkogel mountain to the Großer Donnerkogel or “Greater” part of the mountain that includes the 6,740-foot peak.
Investigators called the man’s fall an accident and ruled out any third-party negligence, the outlet reported.
The ladder is promoted as the “new TOP attraction on the Zwieselalm for climbing enthusiasts” by the Dachstein region tourist website, which notes the climb is done in four stages with the ladder waiting “as the ultimate adrenaline kick.”
The climb is listed as a via ferrata, or “iron path,” a climb that uses steel cables, rungs, pegs and ladders that climbers are attached to via harness for their safety.
Two helicopters and multiple officers from two nearby police departments recovered the man’s body from the gorge.
On Instagram, thousands of thrill-seekers have shared their experiences of ascending the hair-raising tourist attraction, with some using its nickname “the stairway to heaven.”
The climb is rated moderate/difficult and is “Not ideal for beginners.”
Several Austrian towns have gotten tired of tourists invading their hometowns for social media content, with some even going as far as begging to be left alone.
In May, the small hamlet of Hallstatt closed down its famous lakefront view after tourists began to take over the town to check out what is believed to be the inspiration for several scenes in the Disney movie “Frozen.”
Mayor Alexander Scheutz said his town of 750 permanent residents gained over 7,000 visitors daily who were there to see the views that inspired “Arendelle” in the 2013 film.
Earlier this month, a 55-year-old Virginia man died while he attempted to complete the grueling, 24-mile Rim-to-Rim hike of the Grand Canyon.
First responders received a call around 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, about a hiker in distress near a campground on the North Kaibab Trail, where Ranjith Varma fell unconscious and needed to be airlifted out of the canyon, but lifesaving measures from park rangers were unsuccessful.
