On the edge

On a Friday afternoon in late spring last year, a young woman tumbled 15 metres off a cliff top at north Coogee, in Sydney. Within minutes a rescue helicopter had arrived and paramedics were running down the snaking path to the rocks below. Police cars pulled up on the grassy picnic area while sightseers strolled over. Despite all efforts to revive her, the girl died. Initial reports said that the 20-year-old had scaled a safety fence to get a better view, but according to friends she simply slipped on grass in an unfenced area. "It's just a freak accident," her distraught father said. "She's a very careful, smart girl. She's not a risk-taker."