An Indiana man died after falling down a cliff in Puerto Rico while attempting to make a video for TikTok, according to his family.
According to a US Coast Guard news release, Edgar Garay, 27, of Indiana, died on January 29 after falling down a 70-foot coastal cliff close to the Cabo Rojo lighthouse while on a recreational day trip to the southwestern coast.
Garay’s body was discovered the next day by a Puerto Rico Emergency Dive Unit after the fall was reported to the Coast Guard that evening.
Carlos Garay, Edgar’s brother, claimed he was not in Puerto Rico and said a cousin had taken his brother sightseeing along the cliffs at that time.
“My brother has a TikTok account that he loved to upload videos to. Unfortunately, that was what he was trying to do when he was closer to the edge than he should have been”, Carlos said.
Carlos set up a verified GoFundMe to cover the costs of returning his brother’s body back to Indiana.
“Our family is now on a mission to bring our lovable sibling home so that he can be laid to rest among friends and family,” he wrote in the fundraiser description.
“We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time,” said Captain José E. Díaz, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander, in a statement.
“We appreciate the efforts of all the Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police and partner agency emergency responders, especially the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau dive unit that was able to locate Mr. Garay’s body in such a highly inaccessible and challenging environment.”
Author-Roberta Appiah
