Travel influencer Aanvi Kamdar dead at 27 after falling 300ft while filming Instagram reel

Travel influencer Aanvi Kamdar has died aged 27 after falling 300ft into a gorge while visiting a waterfall in India.

Aanvi was joined by seven friends at the Kumbhe waterfall, about 80 miles from Mumbai, on July 16 when the incident occurred.

Local authorities believe that she fell while trying to record an Instagram reel on her phone, according to The Economic Times and The Independent .

"She fell on the hard, slippery patch of rocks around 300ft into the valley and couldn't be spotted initially," rescuer Shantanu Kuveskar told The Economic Times.

"She was sent up using a stretcher attached to rappelling ropes. Six rescuers climbed down the hill, while another 50 assisted atop the hillock."

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It took rescue teams about six hours to rescue Aanvi due to heavy rains and the difficult terrain, according to CBS News.

She was taken to the local Mangaon Taluka Government Hospital on Tuesday afternoon where she was initially responsive and put on a ventilator but later succumbed to her injuries.

With over 291,000 followers, Aanvi was known for her travel tips and her last post on July 15 featured her top five places to visit in India during monsoon season.

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The day prior, Aanvi shared a heartfelt post reflecting on the first collaboration trip at the age of 20 to Ladakh, India.

"It was HUGE and almost tough to believe. I remember telling my parents, and my dad was so elated because Ladakh was always on our list," she wrote.

"We went to Zara to shop for cold-weather outfits, and I quickly applied for leave while I was interning.

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"The red pant, the green jacket, the black leather jacket, the boots, the stole - ALL PICKED BY DAD!" she added, referring to the outfit she wore in the throwback photo.

She continued: "The hotel and arrangements weren't the best, and the event we were called for wasn't well-organized. Until the last minute, I was thinking, 'I hope this isn’t a scam!'

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"But wow, looking back, I realize how amazing it was. My parents didn’t even question it; they were all in and so excited (of course, they had all the details and numbers). Those were the best five days of meeting new people!"

Her followers took to that post to share their sadness over her tragic passing, with one writing: "The world will miss you and your energy."

A second said: "She lived her short life very well." A third added: "Can't believe what I've heard... god bless the family. RIP Aanvi gone too soon."