Israeli Hiker Falls to Death from Cliff Near Petra

An Israeli hiker fell to his death from a cliff near the ancient city of Petra, Jordan on Wednesday night, according to media reports.

Representatives from the Israeli Embassy in Jordan and Jordanian authorities contacted the Foreign Ministry who sent a team to investigate the incident. Upon their arrival they pronounced the man dead and notified his family.

The 23-year-old man died from a fall of 90 feet while hiking with friends in Wadi Abu al Aorok, Jordan, 30 miles south of Petra.

In a separate hiking accident, a 21-year-old fell almost 20 feet on Thursday in Eilat’s Red Canyon. He was trying to take a photograph of himself on the cliff’s edge when the rock he stood on suddenly broke, causing him to fall.

He was evacuated to nearby Yoseftal Medical Center in moderate condition.

”Fortunately he fell on his back and not his front, otherwise this would have ended in a tragedy. We retrieved and evacuated him off the trail where MDA paramedics were awaiting,” said Shraga Green, commander of the Eilat police rescue unit.