A 44-year-old hiker, Caio Rocha Aguiar Arrabal, died after falling nearly 500ft from a cliff in Maricá, Brazil, on 28 June. The tragic accident occurred moments after he posed for a photograph at the summit of a rock formation.
Mr Arrabal slipped while descending from the rock where he had taken the photo. The fall was captured on video by a fellow member of the hiking group. Emergency services, including firefighters and Civil Defence, launched a complex rescue operation amid dense forest and steep terrain. Unfortunately, Mr Arrabal was already deceased upon the arrival of rescue teams.
The fall was caught on camera by a woman in the hiking group. The footage shows Mr Arrabal standing in a narrow gap on the rock before he slid backwards and then turned to face forward over the cliff’s edge. After a warning to be careful, he lost his balance and plunged down the steep slope, with screams from onlookers audible in the background.
Military Police confirmed the fall was from approximately 492ft. Rescue instructor Matheus Moura described the body recovery as difficult due to the dense vegetation and the need to use ropes and aerial assistance. The limited access to the site made the rescue operation especially complex.
Mr Moura also revealed that the trail lacks directional or warning signs. He noted that Mr Arrabal descended via the wrong side of the rock before falling. Visitors often climb the rock for photographs, which increases the risk in the absence of safety measures.
This incident follows a recent fatal accident in Maricá on 14 June, when 59-year-old Rosemary Garcia fell 100ft at a zip-line park. Both accidents highlight ongoing safety concerns for tourists and hikers navigating the area’s challenging terrain.
Originally published by UKNIP.
