Ramona Gowens: Woman dies day before birthday after ‘gut sinking’ fall from cliff when fence broke
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE: A Georgia woman fell from a 30-foot cliff and lost her life on Monday afternoon, September 19, in Scarborough, The US Sun reports. According to a written statement by the local police, 54-year-old Romona Gowens was leaning against a fence on a cliff walk when the fence broke. She was visiting Maine from her home but Gowens and her sister suddenly decided to go for a stroll along Prouts Neck.
Gowen's sister and local fisherman immediately called for assistance after the horrific accident. Emergency responders from the Scarborough Fire Department, EMS and Portland Fire Heavy Rescue found her in grave condition around 10.30 am. However, it took some time for the emergency crews to reach the place. She died at Maine Medical Center in Portland, just a day before her 55th birthday.
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“It’s kind of gut sinking," Anna Strout of Cape Elizabeth told WGME. “I’m shocked actually to hear that somebody fell to their death. These accidents happen. It seems like a safe place to walk." The trail's website says: "The Cliff Walk is NOT a manicured or flat path..." and "It can be quite dangerous walking..." Strout further added, "I hope people aren’t scared off by it, because it’s a gorgeous walk and it is quite safe.”
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, that’s absolutely tragic," said Patrick Conley of Scarborough. "However, I do take this walk almost daily, and never have I ever felt fearful or like it’s dangerous at all.” A few days ago, a 70-year-old man slipped and fell to his death at High Falls Park in DeKalb County, Alabama, while hiking. DeKalb County Coroner Tom Wilson Wilson told the news outlet, "it took two hours to get him out, to recover his body from the bottom of the falls."
Another similar incident took place this month as a woman fell 900 feet to her death while hiking up Capitol Peak in Pitkin County, Colorado. According to a witness, the woman tried to grab a rock before it gave away prompting her to plunge down the mountain. Maya Humeau, a 22-year-old woman fell 100 feet at the Black Wall climbing area north of Mount Evans in Colorado. Police authorities were called to the scene by a man who was with Humeau. The woman died because of her injuries, the first responders who reached the spot, confirmed.
MEAWW previously reported that a 55-year-old tourist from the UK fell 400 ft to his death while vacationing on the island of Formentera, the smallest among Spain's Balearic islands. The man had been trekking along a cliff with his friends when he suddenly lost his footing and dropped from the great height, right in front of his partner.