Be careful when you shoot - Yosemite Falls -

[cyber3d]

Three hikers swept over giant Yosemite waterfall. Kids ignore warning signs to get a better picture and fall.

No photo is worth that danger.


Three hikers swept over giant Yosemite waterfall, presumed dead

[mosgood]

I think people think because it's a national park that it's totally safe like a trip to Disneyland. It's not. It's a wilderness with wild animals who are unpredictable & landmarks that claim lives often. This has been an especially bad year for visitors, sadly. At least 8 people have perished. A little common sense goes a long way. Barriers are there for a reason.

I've seen the waters raging in the Merced, so loud you couldn't talk over the roar, & you could feel the ground shake under your feet. It's both awesome & terrifying. I also had a buck push me out of the way (thought it was an impatient human until I turned around) to get to where he wanted to be. Does can injure tourists who try to approach their babies. Never had a run in with bears, but they've been known to tear cars apart to get at food left unattended. Gotta have respect for Yosemite's features & creatures.

[High_Speed]

I hate to sound harsh and politically incorrect....but my opinion: this is called natural selection.

[NgaiHill]

Yup, natural selection. No sympathy for those idiots who ignored the safety barriers and warning signs, although I do feel sorry for their families who have lost loved ones. We had a similar accident at Fox Glacier on the West Coast of the South Island a couple of years ago. Despite warning signs specifically warning about the dangers of falling ice, barriers and stop signs a couple of young tourists - brothers - stepped over the fences and stood in front of the glacier face to have their photo taken. 10,000 tons of ice calved off the face and buried them. Their bodies were found several days later. No photo was worth that.

[RichardTaylor]

The report says they were playing in te Merced River.
Nothing about photography.

[gturner]

Originally Posted by High_Speed

I hate to sound harsh and politically incorrect....but my opinion: this is called natural selection.

yep, I am with you 100%
sad for the families, but this is dumb.

[cyber3d]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

The report says they were playing in te Merced River.
Nothing about photography.

Most of the eye witness reports say they overheard them wanting to get better pictures. Sad. The first guy fell and the another guy tried to rescue and he fell and the third too.

[mad editor]

Originally Posted by cyber3d

Most of the eye witness reports say they overheard them wanting to get better pictures. Sad. The first guy fell and the another guy tried to rescue and he fell and the third too.

I'm with you. I think it is sad. No matter how stupid they were, I cannot be cavalier about anyone's tragic death.

[Krusty79]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

The report says they were playing in te Merced River.
Nothing about photography.

Richard, this article says they were walking into a pool above the falls to take pictures.

Yosemite: 3 presumed dead, swept over Vernal Fall

I've been there in normal years and it's tempting to wade into that pool. However, when you see that if you slip, you're in for a 300 foot fall, it keeps you out. I can only imagine the force of the water after a record snowfall year like this year. I can't believe anyone would think it would be safe to enter that pool. The article says they ignored the warnings signs and verbal warnings from other hikers. There is nothing at all to grab onto if you fall. People get a false sense of security for some reason when they enter a national park. I feel sorry for the children who had to witness that.

[High_Speed]

Originally Posted by mad editor

I'm with you. I think it is sad. No matter how stupid they were, I cannot be cavalier about anyone's tragic death.

I guess I'm kind of an ass, but I've certainly been called worse. In my opinion, stupid people should not be allowed to breed, and when stupid people eliminate themselves from society, I think as a whole the world is better off. But again, I am an ass....and I know that I am!