Honeymooning man rescued after falling down 4,000-foot 'World's End' cliff while taking photo

A Dutch honeymooner has become the first person to survive a fall from the 4,000-foot World's End cliff in Sri Lanka. Mamitho Lendas, 35, was taking a photograph of his new bride when he took a step backwards and plunged off the cliff.



But rather than dropping to the bottom, his fall was broken by a tree about 130ft down the rock face. Sri Lankan army troops used ropes to reach him and winch him back to safety. Some 40 soldiers and a military helicopter were involved in the rescue.

"It was very scary and very painful as well," said Mr Lendas, who suffered no major injuries in the incident. "I was making pictures and I had a misstep and I fell down backwards. Then I sat in (a bush) for like three and a half hours... the longest three and a half hours of my life."


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Sri Lankan army spokesman Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera said Mr Lendas was "extremely lucky" to survive. "He fell on top of a tree about 130ft from the top," he said. "He is the first person to survive a fall from World's End." The World's End cliff is the main attraction at the Horton Plains nature reserve in central Sri Lanka and is a key tourist attraction.