Indiana man dies recording TikTok video after falling off 70-foot Puerto Rico sea cliff, family says

© Coast Guard Edgar Garay, 27, died recording a TikTok video when he fell off a 70-foot sea cliff in Puerto Rico on Jan. 29, 2023. Garay was seen stumbling toward the edge of a cliff Cabo Rojo on the southeast end of the island, Coast Guard officials said.

An Indiana man recording a TikTok video died after he fell off a 70-foot sea cliff in Puerto Rico over the weekend, his family and officials said.

Edgar Garay, 27, was seen stumbling toward the edge of a cliff on Sunday afternoon in Cabo Rojo on the southeast end of the island, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

A Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau dive unit located and recovered his submerged body Monday afternoon.

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According to the Coast Guard, Garay was on a day trip when he fell.

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According to a news release, on the evening of the fall, Coast Guard watch standers in San Juan received a call at 6:50 p.m. from a 911 emergency operator who reported the incident.

Officials said a witness at the scene later told authorities she saw Garay stumble towards the edge of the cliff.  

The victim's brother, Carlos Garay, said Edgar was with a cousin before he died, local Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR reported.

"My brother has a TikTok account that he loved to upload videos to,” he told the outlet. “Unfortunately, that was what he was trying to do when he was closer to the edge than he should have been.” 

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“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,”  Capt. José E. Díaz, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander wrote in the release.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Indiana man dies recording TikTok video after falling off 70-foot Puerto Rico sea cliff, family says