Woman falls to death while posing for photo at cliffside as she goes celebrating end of lockdown
A woman fell to her death when she went outside to celebrate the end of the local coronavirus lockdown in Turkey. Olesia Suspitsina, a Kazakh national, was out with her friend in Anatyla’s picturesque Duden Park when the incident happened on Sunday, April 26.
According to reports, the 31-year-old was walking in the popular Duden Park, known for its scenic waterfalls, after weeks of the stay-at-home order. During the outing, she decided to take a photo on the edge of a cliff with the waterfalls in the background.
She reportedly scaled a safety barrier so her friend could capture her standing on the cliff’s edge. However, Suspitsina’s adventurous plan went disastrous when her legs slipped on the grass and she lost her balance and fell off the 115 foot (35 meters) cliff to her death.
The accident left her unnamed friend terrified who then called local authorities for help. Suspitsina’s body was found and pulled out of the water by local rescuers before sending it to the Antalya Forensic Medicine Institute’s morgue. Turkish police later investigated the case and ruled that the death was an accident, according to the woman’s relatives.
Reports also claimed that Suspitsina was working as a tour guide in the city for the last five years. Earlier, in one of her now-private Instagram posts, she had written: “I will always admire the beauty of the Turkish nature. This is my paradise.”
One of her devastated relatives, Yury, told to Kazakh media, “Olesya was a smart and cheerful person. She set goals and made them happen.”
Many of her friends also took to social media to express their pain and deepest condolences to Suspitsina's family with one writing: “Olesya always loved the sea and dreamed of living in Turkey. She made her dream come true. More than anything she loved the feeling of freedom. This is an irreparable loss. My heart is broken.”
Another one commented, “She [Olesya] always said she was happy to live in this city. It was her place in the world.” While the third one said: “I cannot believe you're gone. I see you alive and smiling in my memory. Terrible loss. My thoughts are with you and your family.”
As per reports, Suspitsina’s body will be sent from Turkey to Kazakhstan on Saturday, May 2. Her burial will take place in her native city of Kostanay.
With a total of 3,222,107 positive coronavirus cases across the globe, Turkey stands at seventh position with 120,204 Covid-19 patients, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. It has recorded 3.174 deaths since the outbreak.
In spite of this, the country hopes to start opening the economy in late May. “Recent studies have indicated that a reopening of the economy will be possible at the end of May, and current developments confirmed this. Steps will be taken to reopen without allowing a second wave," a senior Turkish official said.
“When we look at the case and death numbers, we have come to a positive point (and) there is a possibility for the economy to reopen," the senior official added.