A 20-year-old man has fallen to his death at a popular tourist attraction after allegedly performing a handstand on a viewing platform.
Emergency services and police were called to the popular Cave Gardens sinkhole in Mount Gambier city just before midnight on Saturday, where victim Bradley Streeter had fallen from.
According to a report from local outlet The Advertiser, it is alleged South Australia police told Streeter’s family he had been performing a “handstand” on the lower viewing platform’s railing when he fell.
Limestone Coast LSA inspector Campbell Hill on Saturday morning told ABC News police suspected the man fell to the base of the sinkhole, some 30 metres below the platform.
Hill said the body of the man was retrieved from the sinkhole just after 3am on Sunday, adding the incident at one of the region’s top tourist attractions was concerning.
“It’s one of the focal points of the Limestone Coast, it certainly is a tragedy,” Hill told ABC News.
“It certainly is a unique location for an event of this type to occur. It’s certainly not one that we’ve experienced in recent times, certainly to this severity.”
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Speaking to the national broadcaster, Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin said she was saddened by the news and offered her condolences to those impacted by Streeter’s death.
“Like me, the community will be very saddened to think that such a tragic event could happen at one of our premier tourist attractions right in the heart of the city,” she told ABC News.
“… It’s been a safe environment for many, many years, enjoyed by thousands of people.
“I really would like to pass on my condolences to the victim’s family and friends on their tragic loss.”
She said the council had “many policies” and “regulations” in place to manage public safety at the Cave Gardens sinkhole, which would be reviewed if needed, but added that the incident is now a matter “for the coroner”.
Police said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Streeter.
Featured image: Cave Gardens sinkhole Mount Gambier (South Australia.com)
