A joyous moment turned tragic when an American man died after falling off a cliff while proposing to his girlfriend during a hike in California’s famous Yosemite National Park.
The 36-year-old, Brad Parker, had ventured up Matthes Crest in Yosemite National Park over the weekend. Earlier, he and his girlfriend had successfully climbed another mountain and he had proposed to her—successfully.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Parker was not using ropes when he fell from Matthes Crest, tumbling hundreds of feet into a deep valley, which led to his death.
After his successful proposal, Parker had called his father to share the good news. His father recalled that Parker described it as the best day of his life. Little did they know, tragedy would strike just hours later.
Parker was climbing Matthes Crest alone. Witnesses told the Los Angeles Times that he fell down the cliff around evening. Because it was too late, rescue teams could not set out immediately and had to wait until the next morning to dispatch a helicopter—but it was too late.
Kari Cobb, spokesperson for Yosemite National Park, said that Matthes Crest is a popular spot among climbers, and free solo climbing there is not uncommon.
According to Yosemite National Park reports, an average of one to two hikers die in such accidents each year. 1030820
(Central News Agency)