Couple fall to their deaths from Portuguese beach wall ‘after trying to take a selfie’

The couple fell 30m from a wall at Pescadores beach in Portugal (Picture: Rex)
The couple fell 30m from a wall at Pescadores beach in Portugal (Picture: Rex)

A couple have fallen to their deaths after reportedly trying to take a selfie on a wall above a beach in Portugal.

The British woman and Australian man fell more than 30m on to the beach at Praia dos Pescadores in the resort of Ericeira, near Lisbon.

The bodies of the woman in her 30s and the man in his 40s were found on the sand by a beach cleaner on Tuesday morning, Portuguese newspaper Correio de Manha reported.

Police say they believe the couple lost their balance and fell off the wall at some time between 1am and 6am on Tuesday.

They think the couple were taking a selfie at the time of the fall because they found a smartphone at the scene.

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Rescue service chief Rui Pereira da Terra told news agency Lusa: “Everything seems to indicate that the fall happened when they were probably trying to take a selfie.

“Since we found a mobile phone on the wall, everything suggests the victims might have been taking a selfie, when they allowed the phone to fall, leaned over to grab it and fell.”

Pescadores is a popular beach resort in Portugal (Picture: Rex)
Pescadores is a popular beach resort in Portugal (Picture: Rex)

The Foreign Office confirmed a British woman had died and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) and Trade said an Australian had lost their life.

The beach at Pescadores is surrounded by cliffs and a 30-metre high wall covered in shrubs.

The Foreign Office said: “We are in touch with local authorities following the death of a British woman in Portugal and stand ready to provide support to her family.”

A spokesperson for the DFAT said it was “providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Portugal”.