Israeli Teen Drops 800 Feet to His Death at Yosemite

An Israeli teen dropped 800 feet to his death while visiting Yosemite National Park, according to a report.

The teen, identified as Tomer Frankfurter, 18, was on a two-month trip to the United States when he died. He reportedly stepped off a cliff while trying to take a selfie.

Frankfurter’s mother confirmed the teen’s death to the Israeli’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the Times of Israel.

The Fresno Bee reported that the teen was trying to take a selfie at Nevada Fall. Nevada Fall is an approximately five-hour hike from Yosemite Valley.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the transfer of his body back to Israel, reported the Jerusalem Post.

In June 2018, two climbers dropped to their deaths from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. And overall, there have been six deaths in Yosemite in the past five months, the Bee noted.

The climbers, Jason Wells, 45, and Tim Klein, 42, were scaling the Free Blast route on El Capitan when they fell, according to the New York Times.

Wells and Klein were “very experienced,” Ken Yager, president of the Yosemite Climbing Association, said, adding, “Something weird happened. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

“People from all over the world come to climb it,” Yager added of El Capitan. “It’s definitely a destination climb. It’s a notch in your belt or a feather in your cap if you’re a serious climber.”

In September 2017, a man died after rocks broke from the cliff, falling on him and his wife.