Australian Tourist Dies in 300-Meter Fall at Machu Picchu

A vacation to one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites turned into a family’s worst nightmare when a 52-year-old Australian police officer fell to his death at Machu Picchu last week.

Matthew Cameron Patron was hiking with a tour group toward the Inca citadel on May 20 when he stumbled on a wooden bridge. He grabbed for the handrail, but the railing gave way, plunging him and the broken barrier into a deep ravine 300 meters below.

Rescue teams recovered his body from a steep section of trail known as “50 Steps,” a notoriously narrow and exposed path. Peruvian authorities are now investigating the incident, including whether the tour company involved was properly licensed.

Patron, a police officer from Australia, had been married to his wife for 31 years. They had three children. In a statement released through local media, his family said: “Family was everything to Matt. He was devoted to his wife and kids. He loved us, and we loved him.”

The tragedy is the latest in a string of accidents at Peru’s most famous tourist destination. Just weeks earlier, a tour bus carrying 27 people plunged off a cliff in the same region; that incident was captured on video.

For now, the Patron family is left grieving a man who came to see one of the wonders of the world and never returned.