Teen plunges to his death at Nevada Fall in Yosemite National Park

A teenager visiting Yosemite National Park from Jerusalem plunged to his death this week while reportedly trying to take a selfie at the park’s popular Nevada Fall.

The Mariposa County coroner’s office identified the 18-year-old as Tomer Frankfurter.

Park officials said Tuesday’s incident is under investigation and would not provide details about the circumstances of the fall. But the Times of Israel reported that Frankfurter’s mother said that her son apparently lost his balance while trying to take a selfie at the edge of Nevada Fall.

The waterfall is in Yosemite Valley, which was closed for roughly three weeks this summer due to the deadly Ferguson wildfire burning nearby. It reopened Aug. 14.

Multiple fatalities have been reported in the park this year. In May, a man died on Half Dome after he slipped and fell during a thunderstorm on the last 400 feet of the climb, where hikers grasp cables to scale the summit. According to the park service, most accidents there occur during wet conditions.

The next month, two veteran rock climbers were killed when they fell from the sheer granite face of El Capitan, which rises 3,000 feet and is a favorite challenge for climbers.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek