Onlooker captures video of tourist's reckless actions along dangerous cliffside: 'The lengths people will go'

Hiking comes with rules and regulations, not to put a damper on hikers' exploring, but to keep them, wild animals, and the surrounding nature safe. 

Some outdoor explorers, however, ignore posted signs against their own good. A small group of two hikers was caught on camera blatantly ignoring a fence and a sign on a cliffside, the sign reading, "DANGER | DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT." 

PDX Camera Guy LLC posted the moment on Facebook. 

The man in the video stands directly beside the sign, right on the restricted side of the fence, while the woman wanders near the edge of the cliffside. They are both shown taking photos. 

"Every year, lives are lost because someone ignored a warning meant to protect them," the caption says. 

Powerfully, the caption continues, "No picture or moment is worth your life. Respect the boundaries. Protect yourself and others. Nature is beautiful—but it can also be unforgiving."

According to the National Park Service (NPS), an average of 358 people die in national parks per year, calculated from 2014 to 2019. 

Per an NPS graphic, 314 deaths from 2014 to 2019 occurred from drowning, and 205 from falls. Motor vehicle crashes caused other deaths, as did poisoning and wildlife. 

In several cases, death can be avoided if hikers would only follow safety guidelines, be they in a state park or on trails elsewhere. 

Adhering to trail signs is important, as is following rules about avoiding wildlife. Wild animals should be left alone in outdoor spaces, as their brains are wired to self-sustain. If they feel threatened, animals can and will attack. 

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Not only is this deadly for hikers, but it can also lead to the death of the wildlife, which can be euthanized after attacking or being fed. 

The issue with this death is that the animals cannot help themselves, and biodiversity in an ecosystem can shift and suffer when this happens often. 

Commenters on the Facebook post were upset over the way the hikers willfully put themselves in danger. 

"The lengths people will go to in order to earn a Darwin Award," one person commented, a "Darwin Award" being a made-up award for hikers who are harmed by acting recklessly. That said, the moment shows how small of a separation there can be between an eyeroll-worthy incident and a fatal accident, and it's important to avoid letting humor undercut the reality of danger in such situations.

Another remarked, "So many people can't seem to read these days."

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