Screenshot/Instagram – @hike.sofi
- The Hong Kong influencer Sophia Cheung reportedly died after falling from a waterfall on Saturday.
- The Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital appeared to confirm the news in a statement to Insider.
- Cheung was known for her hiking adventures and daredevil stunts on Instagram.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The Hong Kong influencer Sophia Cheung reportedly died in the hospital after falling while taking a picture on Saturday.
According to The Daily Mail and other outlets, the 32-year-old was hanging with a group of friends in the vicinity of Ha Pak Lai, a popular park near the renowned Hong Kong hiking destination Pineapple Mountain, when the reported fatal incident occurred.
While snapping photos at the edge of a waterfall on the Tsing Dai stream, the Daily Mail reported, Cheung slipped and plunged into a 16-foot-deep pool below. Cheung's friends notified emergency services, who quickly came and pulled her from the water, according to The Mail. The report said she was rushed to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong and allegedly pronounced dead soon after arrival.
Insider reached out to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern and received a statement from a "Hospital Authority," who appeared to verify the news: "It is confirmed that a 32-year-old woman has been sent to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and was certified dead at HK time 7:59pm on 10 July," the spokesperson wrote.
Cheung, whose Instagram account @hike.sofi has over 19,000 followers, was known for her nature photography and hiking stunts - like climbing to the end of a cliff and dangling her feet in the air or hanging off the edge using only her hands.
Her Instagram biography says she enjoyed hiking, kayaking, exploring, photography, and outdoor activities, generally. It also includes the motto, "Life should be fun not dumb."
Her most recent Instagram photo, posted Thursday, shows her kneeling in the shore with her arms around a yellow boogie board. The caption reads, "Better days are coming. They are called: Saturday and Sunday." She stacked the post with hashtags: #naturelover, #explorehongkong, #yolo.
Friends and fans mourned the hiking star in the comment section of her recent Instagram post.
"Rip Sophie!" one Instagram user wrote. "I can't believe last week I still chat with you."
"I thought better days are coming with Saturday and Sunday?" another user commented. "I will miss your chat every day. I love you always. Rest in peace."
Hundreds of other users simply wrote "RIP."
Cheung's reported death follows a string of similar hiking-related fatalities, including the death of 23-year-old Erica Liane Tavares, a Portuguese Instagram travel influencer who perished after falling from a waterfall in Chiapas, Mexico in early July, according to Yahoo News.
To read more stories like this, check out Insider's digital-culture coverage here.