Teen Falls to His Death Taking Selfie at Yosemite

An Israeli teenager who was visiting Yosemite National Park fell to his death while trying to take a selfie.

The Fresno Bee reported that the teen was identified by the Israeli Foreign Ministry as 18-year-old Tom Frankfurter.

The teen apparently had repeatedly tried taking a picture of himself at the edge of Nevada Fall before losing balance and plunging 820 feet. Nevada Fall is an approximately five to six-hour hike from Yosemite Valley.

The teen's mother, who later spoke with The Times of Israel, said he was on a two-month trip to the United States prior to joining the Israeli army. His body is being shipped back to Israel for burial.

Over the past five months, there have been a half-dozen deaths at California's Yosemite National Park, according to the Fresno Bee.

In August, the body of hiker Scott Tenczar was discovered in the national park. Just prior to that, the body of missing park ranger John Belvins Cogdell III was also discovered.

Two rock climbers fell to their deaths while scaling Yosemite's famed El Capitan in June. And in May a 29-year old from New Jersey perished while using the Half Dome cables and slipping and falling.

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