Stephen Queen, 34, was enjoying a hike with a friend at the Morialta Conservation Park in Adelaide, Australia, when he tried to pick up a piece of litter but ended up falling to his death
The family of a dad who fell to his death at a popular hiking spot have left heartbreaking tributes to the “kindest soul” who died “doing something he loved”.
Stephen “Queenie” Queen, 34, tumbled from a cliff at Morialta Conservation Park in Adelaide, Australia on Saturday after trying to pick up a piece of litter from a hiking path in a freak accident.
Katherine Queen, his sister, shared details of her brother’s selfless final act on social media the following day. She wrote: “As an avid environmentalist who cares for nature, he went to pick up a piece of litter that was just off the path, and in a freak accident, fell off a cliff. He passed away apparently instantly.”
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He died doing “something he loved dearly – hiking Morialta with a friend”, she added. The alarm was raised after the woman he was hiking with approached another group of ramblers calling out for help.
Speaking to Nine News, hiker Aliman Tazudin said: “She said she just met with this man in class and she just for the first time went out with him and this thing happened.
“She said her friend doesn’t like littering and because he saw a bottle over the fence so he tried to go over the fence and right after that he fell down.”
Emergency responders raced to the site of the fall at Deep View Lookout following the 12.30pm incident. Paramedics did their best to revive him but he couldn’t be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A South Australia police spokesperson said an investigation has been launched but the force does not believe his passing to be suspicious.
Stephen leaves behind a “beautiful eight-year-old girl”, Katherine said, adding that he loved her “immensely”. She said his family is “incredibly devastated by this freak accident”.
Her post lead to a deluge of tributes from friends and family.
“He had a beautiful nature and was the kindest soul to everyone he ever met,” one friend said. “Queenie was one of those big hearted people who wanted nothing more than to spend time with those he loved and to enjoy life to its fullest.”
“This whole thing is heartbreaking in every sense of the word as his passing was a freak accident, needless and tragic. He touched the lives of so many people and left memories that will never be forgotten. I just thought you were going to be around forever with us,” she added.
He was also described a “one-of-a-kind” and a “unique” person who “will be missed”. Police cordoned off the park for a number of hours while emergency responders recovered his body.