Tragedy as woman falls 100ft to death applying insect repellent on cliffside hike

Rosemary Suzart Garcia, 59, was part of a group of 15 people at the Grutas do Spar in Maricá, Brazil, when she reportedly lost her balance while applying insect repellent on a steep trail

A woman plunged to her death after losing her footing while applying insect repellent to her leg during a cliffside trek. Rosemary Suzart Garcia was navigating a precipitous trail leading to the starting point of an abseiling descent when the tragic accident occurred on Sunday morning (June 14).

Eyewitnesses informed police she was following a brief path to the anchor point, already kitted out in safety equipment including gloves and a helmet. According to witness statements, as she raised one leg to spray on insect repellent, her weight-bearing foot gave way and she tumbled backwards, plummeting over the cliff edge.

Rosemary, 59, was amongst a group of 15 people at the Grutas do Spar (Spar Caves) in Maricá, Brazil. Giovani Maximino, who saw the incident unfold, 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.”

Fire crews discovered the victim, who resided in Rio de Janeiro, deceased at the scene, as reported by NeedToKnow.

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 carved out from a mining site where minerals such as feldspar and mica were excavated before it was abandoned around 50 years ago.

Today, the location serves as a tourist attraction renowned for its rock formations, a natural lake, and a cave about 40m (131ft) high used for abseiling.

Police are investigating the case.

It comes after we reported how a woman who died from her injuries after being thrown 130ft in a horror bungee jumping accident was reportedly still alive when she was found, according to a nurse who desperately tried to save her.

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died after viral footage showed her being thrown off Ponte do Esqueleto, known as the Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, Brazil on Saturday (June 14).

Now an off-duty nurse has spoken out about the horrific incident and claimed Maria Eduarda was still breathing despite the sickening fall caught on camera.

Speaking to Brazilian TV, nurse Rayza Dias confirmed she was breathing and had a weak pulse while she attempted life-saving treatment.

She said: I even talked to her. I have a habit of joking and saying, ‘Nobody dies on my shift’. And I told her, ‘Duda (a nickname for women named Eduarda), nobody dies on my shift’. Even though I wasn’t on my shift there.”

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