Who is Richard Jacobson? The hiker falls 700 feet trying to take a selfie at Arizona state park, Details discussed
Authorities at Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park say a young man, age 21, died after falling from a cliff while trying to capture a photograph. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying they had found the corpse of hiker Richard Jacobson, who had fallen from Flatiron Peak in the Superstition Mountains to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Jacobson’s friend contacted 911 around 12:45 a.m. on Monday, and his corpse was discovered roughly 700 feet from where he had fallen while trying to capture a photograph, as reported by authorities.
What happened to Richard Jacobson?
On Monday night, Mesa resident Richard Jacobson was camping with a buddy on the Flatiron Peak of Superstition Mountain in Lost Dutchman State Park. Police said Jacobson fell while trying to snap a picture of himself with the cityscape around midnight. Jacobson’s buddy phoned emergency services shortly after to report that he had fallen from the mountain. About 700 feet from where Jacobson was attempting to take the picture, authorities discovered his body on a path. According to People, the Arizona Department of Public Safety sent a helicopter to help with the late-night rescue operations. Spanish researchers at the iO Foundation, who focus on infectious illnesses and tropical medicine, found that between January 2008 and July 2021, death was associated with a selfie almost every 13 days.
According to the organization’s president, selfie-related deaths are frequent enough to be deemed a public health danger. The survey discovered that around 256 individuals have died from falling off of cliffs, waterfalls, and rooftops while trying to take a photograph. According to the research, locals and those familiar with the area are more likely to be killed in an accident than visitors. The data showed that visitors to a new place were more cautious than locals about trying anything dangerous.
It’s unclear which trail Jacobson and his companion chose to reach Flatiron Peak, but the Arizona State Parks website warns that the climb is not for beginner hikers. The website claims that the Siphon Draw Trail, a 5.5-mile route, is one of the most travelled routes to the summit.
More information on the hiker’s tragic death
The website warns that the ascent is difficult to follow and should only be attempted by fit, experienced hikers. The round-trip time for a climb up and down the Flatiron is at least five hours. The state park’s branch chief of Emergency Services, Brandon Torres, told People that hikers need to keep their attention on the route since there have been several accidents involving falls.
There have been a handful of incidents where people have posed for a picture while pretending to fall off and then actually did. You need to pay close attention to where you are at the edge and not just the edge itself. When hiking down narrow canyon routes, remember how easy it would be to slip and fall. He explained that the lack of trail-related injuries in the Grand Canyon was due to visitors keeping their attention on the routes themselves, and he advised hikers to take the same precautions on every tour.
