Canberra, Feb 19 (IANS) A second person in less than a week died at an iconic waterfall in Australia’s capital.
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Police on Sunday confirmed that officers responded to reports a young man had fallen at Gibraltar Falls and found a 22-year-old unconscious in the water, who could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene, Xinhua News Agency reported.
It came just days after 19-year-old Thomas Livingstone fell to his death while scrambling across rocks in front of the waterfall.
The 22-year-old man accessed the site despite it being closed since Livingstone’s death, while an investigation into safety precautions is conducted.
The review could recommend the site is closed to the public permanently, a measure the government considers a last resort.
More than 600 people visit the site approximately 40 km south of Canberra every day in summer to swim and picnic.
Bren Burkevics, the ACT Conservator of Flora and Fauna, said in a statement following the first death that the review would take weeks.
“The ACT Parks and Conservation Service advises against swimming or walking in non-designated areas within our parks and reserves,” he said.
“Visitors should always follow signage and advice from ACT Parks and Conservation Service staff, and stick to formed walking tracks.”
–IANS
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