A STAR gymnast has plunged to her death while allegedly taking a selfie at the castle that inspired Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Natalie Stichova, 23, was declared dead six days after she fell nearly 262 feet down Tegelberg Mountain in Bavaria, Germany . The tragic fall reportedly took place near the picturesque Neuschwanstein Castle, as the Czech athlete was trying to capture the perfect Instagram snap on August 15.
Natalie's pal told German media 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 262 feet (80 metres). "We will never find out whether she slipped or whether a piece of the rock edge broke off.
" Read more world news The young woman was alongside two friends and her boyfriend, David, when tragedy struck. 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 hospital by helicopter.
Her family took her life support off due to irreversible brain damage last Wednesday, reports say. Most read in The Sun 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 condolences in a statement.
It read: "With deep sorrow, we announce that our wonderful friend, gymnast, representati.