Rosemary Suzart Garcia, 59, tragically died after losing her balance while applying insect repellent on a steep cliffside trail in Maricá, Brazil. The accident occurred on Sunday morning, June 14, as she was navigating a precipitous path leading to an abseiling descent point.
Details of the Incident
According to eyewitnesses, Garcia was part of a group of 15 people at the Grutas do Spar (Spar Caves) in Maricá. She was already wearing safety equipment, including gloves and a helmet, and was following a short path to the anchor point. As she raised one leg to spray insect repellent, her weight-bearing foot gave way, causing her to tumble backwards and fall over the cliff edge.
Giovani Maximino, who witnessed the event, 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."
Rescue and Investigation
Fire crews discovered Garcia, a resident of Rio de Janeiro, deceased at the scene. Maximino added: "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, carved from an abandoned mining site where feldspar and mica were excavated about 50 years ago, are now a tourist attraction known for rock formations, a natural lake, and a 40m (131ft) high cave used for abseiling. Police are investigating the case.
Related Incident
This tragedy follows a recent bungee jumping accident in Limeira, Brazil, where Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died after being thrown 130ft from Ponte do Esqueleto. An off-duty nurse, Rayza Dias, reported that Freitas was still breathing and had a weak pulse after the fall, despite the severity of the incident.
