Teen falls to death at Balangan cliff, family denies selfie as cause

An Indonesian teenage boy died at Bali’s Balangan Beach on Friday after slipping off the edge of a cliff.

Balangan is a cliff-side beach on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, south of Jimbaran Bay.

Sixteen-year-old GES did not fall taking a selfie, according to his family.

The Jakarta teen’s family has vehemently denied allegations that he fatally slipped and fell taking a photo.

However, eyewitnesses of the tragic incident have given police a different account of events.

“There was an accidental fall from a cliff at Balangan Beach, Jimbaran, South Kuta on Friday, June 29, 2018, at 5:45fpm,” Bali Police spokesman Hengky Widjaja said on Sunday, as quoted by Detik.

“The victim was found by witnesses when he slipped down from a cliff with a height of 30 meters, caused by standing on the due of the cliff when taking a selfie,” said Widjaja.

At the time of the fall, the tide was going down so the teen did not get washed away.

“The victim fell from the edge of the cliff to the water’s edge. When at the time that water receding. Many people at the scene assisted the victim and hoisted him up using a beach umbrella to transport him,” Widjaja said.

GES was still breathing when evacuated from the scene, but he did not make it to the hospital alive, according to the police spokesperson