Boroka Lookout: Helpless family as mom falls dead in a selfie spot

The devastated children mourn the death of their mother, who they watched plunge 80 meters to her death from a Victorian lookout over which police have issued numerous warnings.

Rosy Loomba, a 38-year-old mother of two from Craigieburn, north Melbourne, was walking with her family in Grampians National Park when she fell from the Boroka Lookout, near Halls Gap, around 3pm on Saturday.

Her husband Basant and their young children watched helplessly. She fell after climbing through a security barrier at the lookout, famous on Instagram as the “perfect selfie” spot.

The community support worker died at the scene.

Victoria Police and volunteers from the State Emergency Service took more than six hours to retrieve Ms Loomba’s body.

His body had to be removed by a specialized team after 9:00 p.m. due to the harsh terrain.

Ms. Loomba’s sister-in-law, Jassu Minal Loomba, said the news was difficult to take in.

“She was a good life partner for my brother and the best mother for his children,” said Ms. Loomba. “(The family is) still in shock and it’s really hard to believe,” he told the Sun herald.

Tragically, Ms Loomba’s death comes after chilling police warnings about tourists seeking selfies in the area.

“One of the problems that constantly immobilizes our resources is that people risk their lives and limb in an attempt to get the best selfie,” read a police warning in January 2019.

“We often see dangerous geo-tagged photos and videos in the area where people have compromised their own safety to get a particular shot.

“We also frequently work with local rescue teams on missions to get people to safety who have ignored signage and scaled barriers or security fences.

“Our missions do not always have successful results.”

Halls Gap Sgt. Russell Brown predicted that “absolutely ridiculous” Instagram posts would ultimately end in tragedy.

“From an emergency services point of view, it is quite frustrating to see such irresponsible action that can lead to serious injury or death,” he said.

“If you fall, you die. If this turns bad, you must be thinking about your family, friends and other people who have to get involved.”

Ms. Loomba’s husband’s Facebook page shows that the family regularly enjoyed the walks. He shared many photos of the couple and their children in the bush and at famous viewpoints, including in the Dandenong Ranges.

The Boroka Lookout shows panoramic views of the eastern Grampians after a five-minute walk from the parking lot.

It has become an increasingly popular photo spot, with over 6,000 Instagram posts tagged on location.

A woman uploaded a photo posing there just three hours after the woman fell and died. It is unclear if the image was taken before the accident.

Graham Wood, who runs motorcycle tours in the area, said there were a lot of people at the lookout yesterday.

He told ABC that he saw someone climb on the ledge to take a picture, something he says happens all the time.

“I don’t know how you can prevent this from happening, but maybe this incident will help,” he said.

“It’s a difficult way to get people to adhere to what common sense should be.”

Thousands of images show people who have climbed onto the guardrails to take a travel photo while sitting, standing, or even, in some cases, standing on their hands and even flipping backwards on the ledge.

In January 1999, a 59-year-old British tourist died at the lookout while on vacation with her husband and other family members who were taking photos.

In November 2018, a man went viral for a video showing him completing a backflip on the edge of the lookout.

The clip garnered more than 127,000 views, with many commenting that he was “lucky to be alive.”

Police Minister Lisa Neville said Sunday that “no photo is worth a life” and urged people to consider their safety on social media.

“What we saw (on Saturday) was a really tragic result of behavior that we unfortunately see too often,” he said.

“Don’t take these. Not only does it put you at risk, but it also puts our lifeguards and emergency services workers in danger who have to come to rescue you or your body.”