Not-So-Make-Believe: Tourists actually do plunge to their deaths trying to get as close as possible to the Grand Canyon's edge.
SUBMITTED BY: John Lazik LOCATION: Grand Canyon, Arizona (1998)
John: “We found a spot where no one else was around and I noticed there was a significant amount of ground under the railing. The edge of the Canyon was a few feet away. We took a couple pictures until we had the shadows just right and it appeared as if I were falling into the abyss — clinging for life!”
Thank God, you didn’t die John so you could later go on to submit this picture and secure your legacy.
But the reality is that tourists do fall Wile E. Coyote style at the Grand Canyon in their quest for the perfect photo-ops or a better view.
– Here’s an Eagle Scout who wasn’t careful.
– Here’s a physician who ran to the edge and deliberately jumped cartoon style.
– According to National Geographic, it happened to a David Hasselhoff lookalike.
– And here’s an 18 year-old French tourist who plunged 75 feet while angling for a better photo and SURVIVED.
Here are the stats about falling at the Canyon. Don’t become one of them.
[...] Don’t try this at home (just in case the Grand Canyon is your home). (Tacky Tourist Disclaimer: Taking photos at the edge of a cliff can result in an undesirable outcome. Always measure the risks versus benefits when taking dangerous vacation pictures. And be educated. Here’s an overview of some recent unwise Grand Canyon photo-ops.) [...]