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Don’t go chasing waterfalls — or cell phones.
Seemingly putting his life in peril, a tourist made a risk-filled jump into the waters of the largest waterfall system in the world, Iguazu Falls, to retrieve his dropped phone.
The incident, reported by Jam Press, occurred on Saturday, June 6, on the Brazilian side of the falls — straddling the border between that country and Argentina — and was captured by other tourists.
The man was seen scrambling over the safety barrier at the end of the walkway that juts out over a portion of the falls, and lowering himself into the moving water of the Iguaçu River below.
As he appeared to look for his phone, the man, in a white tee and jeans, was wading just yards away from a deadly 200-foot drop
The clueless climber has yet to be identified, and it is unclear whether he retrieved the mobile device for which he risked life and limb.
Owing to the gods’ favoring the foolhardy, the man was able to hoist himself back onto the platform without incident.
However, once back on solid ground, he was reprimanded by local authorities who escorted him to the park’s exit.
On both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of Iguazu Falls, crossing, climbing over or perching on guardrails is strictly forbidden.
Per the Brazilian authorities, if and when an item falls into the Iguaçu River, guests are encouraged to contact the on-site fire brigade, which will then determine whether recovery is possible.
Despite the obvious danger of this natural wonder, the wading man is the latest in a series of head-shaking moments at the falls this year.
In January, a man visiting the Devil’s Throat viewpoint on the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls hopped a barrier to fetch his hat.
He reportedly skirted the edge of the 269-foot drop into the abyss, collected his cap, and calmly returned to the walkway.
In February, again at the Devil’s Throat viewpoint, a man inexplicably lifted a baby over the safety barrier while a woman photographed the reckless raising.
While these foolhardy folks survived, other visitors have been less fortunate.
In 2011, two US tourists died in Iguazu Falls when their boat capsized and struck rocks near the base of the waterfall.
In 2024, two influencers drowned in the falls after refusing to wear life jackets on a transfer boat that later capsized.
According to reports, the two women did not want the safety gear to get in the way of their tanning efforts.
One victim, whose body was found washed up on the coast of Itaquitanduva Beach a week later, had posted photos to her social media showing her aboard the boat moments before she drowned.
English (US)