A pro gymnast fell to her death while taking a selfie during a visit to the castle that inspired Disney ’s Sleeping Beauty, it has been reported. Czech athlete Natalie Stichova, 23, died six days after she plunged nearly 262 ft down Tegelberg Mountain in Bavaria, Germany , on 15 August. The tragic fall reportedly took place near the picturesque Neuschwanstein Castle, as she was trying to take a picture.
A friend of Natalie’s said that she had been standing very close to the edge of the mountain when she slipped while setting up the shot in front of the castle. The friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘She fell from a height of about 80 metres. We will never find out whether she slipped or whether a piece of the rock edge broke off.
’ The young woman was accompanied by two friends and her boyfriend, David, when the incident happened. Police described the route as a ‘challenging climb’. Local media reported that Natalie initially survived the harrowing fall with grave injuries, and was swiftly airlifted to the hospital by helicopter.
Her family took her off life support due to irreversible brain damage on 21st August. Natalie was a well-known sports star in her home country and had recently started training junior athletes herself. Her club, Sokol Pribram Sports Gymnastics, expressed their sorrow in a statement obtained by Newsflash: ‘With deep sorrow, we announce that our wonderful friend, gymnast, representative, and coach, Natalka Stichova, has left us .