A man who died after driving a family car off a cliff at one of the country’s main tourism attractions has been declared a "suicide" by Police.
The car plunged nearly 200 metres before smashing into trees near the Papapapaitai Falls at Tiavi, on Monday evening.
He was resuscitated when the rescue team arrived but died at the scene.
Acting Police Commissioner, Fauono Talalelei Tapu, told a press conference yesterday that the 34-year-old man was “a quiet person” who didn’t “share” his thoughts readily with anyone.
The man was from Malifa, stayed at home and never went out on his own, he said. Fauono said there will be no post mortem conducted into the death.
He confirmed that the death was a suicide. He declined, however, to reveal the identity of the deceased, giving no reasons for his decision.
Prior to his death, the deceased and his younger brother visited the Tiavi Falls on Sunday, said the Acting Police Commissioner.
“On Monday when this same brother was arriving home, he was surprised to hear the car take off.”
The vehicle that left the family’s residence was driven by the deceased. Fauono said the deceased was known for never leaving the house by himself. His brother went in search of him after the man’s sudden disappearance from his family home.
“He thought over where he would have gone and remembered where they were on Sunday at the Papapapitai Falls”
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The brother then drove to Tiavi where he asked people in the area whether they had spotted his brother. It was then he was told that a vehicle had plummeted to the gorge below.
Police were then alerted. A source from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (F.E.S.A) confirmed they were informed by Police about the accident at 2pm.
At the scene of the accident, ropes and a ladder had to be used to get down to where the vehicle was spotted lying in between trees. He said the scene was dramatic.
“His body was lying 20-30 metres away from where the vehicle was”.
The car was badly damaged as a result of the impact of the vehicle falling 150-200 metres into the gorge. The man’s body was found severely injured with a crushed head, broken arm and broken legs, said the source.
A total of eight members of the rescue team - including members of the Ministry of Police and Prisons - assisted in bringing the young man’s body up the cliff.
“It was an emotional scene with so many people there, his parents were also there and because of the condition of his injuries and impact of the damage to his body – it was covered when he was brought up the cliff.”
He expressed sadness at the man’s death, saying he was still young. The family of the deceased could not be reached for a comment yesterday. Monday’s death was the second to have occurred at that same location.
The first was in 2012 when a Eugene, Oregon man from the United States, Brad Bachelor, drove his vehicle over the cliff, crashing some 500 metres down.
Fauono turned aside questions whether more safety measures should be considered to ensure that such incidents do not occur again at the tourist attraction.
He said the Tiavi Falls was not created for people as a place to take their own lives.
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