Hong Kong Influencer Falls To Her Death During Waterfall Hike
Local news media purported that the 32-year-old hiking enthusiast slipped because she was posing for a photo.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 15 Jul 2021, 01:42 PM
An Instagram influencer from Hong Kong slipped and fell to her death while she was hiking a waterfall in Tsing Dai Stream on Saturday, 10 July
32-year-old Sophia Cheung was a hiking enthusiast who often posted photos of her at various hiking trails and cliffed coasts in Hong Kong.
A photo of Cheung standing on a cliff in Ung Kong Islands, Wang Chau on 17 May.
Image via @hike.sofi (Instagram)While Cheung was hiking with some friends at 5pm on the day of the incident, she was said to have lost her footing and plunged into a pool, reported Sky Post.
The local daily purported that Cheung fell while she was posing for a photo.
During the fall, Cheung reportedly hit her head before submerging into the 5m-deep pool.
One of her friends jumped into the water to save her and called emergency services for help.
When the police and firefighters arrived at the scene, Cheung was declared dead. Her body was sent to the Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan via a government helicopter.
At the time of writing, thousands of netizens flocked to Cheung's Instagram account to send their condolences
A report by The Sun on 13 July noted that Cheung had 6,000 followers on her Instagram. Today, 15 July, her followers have ballooned to 15,600.
Her Instagram account has 97 posts showing her posing at popular scenic locations in Hong Kong, such as Sunset Peak, Tai To Yan, Castle Peak, Mok Min Cave, and Lantau Peak.
"Life should be fun, not dumb," reads her bio on Instagram.
Her last photo on the social media platform shows her sitting on a beach with a bodyboard, with a caption that says, "Better days are coming. They are called: Saturday and Sunday."
Yesterday, 14 July, a colleague — who Cheung was last photographed with on her profile — penned an emotional goodbye post for her hiking buddy
After a few days of grieving, the friend said she went back to the office for work and was saddened not to see Cheung with her.
"It's you, under your influence, I started to get in touch with sports," the friend lamented.
"You said mountain trekking is not just about seeing beautiful sceneries and take beautiful pictures, [but] it is about bringing you happiness and satisfaction."
"Every time when we were at the peak, you would say, 'You and I are just as small as a booger.'"
"Thank you, thank you for being in my life. I know you will continue to protect every one of us in different ways."
In an Instagram Story yesterday, she refuted that Cheung fell to her death because she wanted to 'check-in' at the location, stressing that her fall was purely accidental.
The friend also clarified that a past photo showing Cheung hanging under a cliff at Sunset Peak is just a photo illusion, as there is ground right under the protruding rock.
"It is not a dangerous act," the friend said.
The friend's defence for Cheung came after some news reports described the hiking enthusiast as a "daredevil" who enjoyed "extreme sports".
