A woman has plunged to her death while apparently taking a selfie on a cliff edge at a scenic lookout in Sydney.

Witnesses have told police they believed the 27-year-old woman was taking photos at the picturesque Vaucluse site when she fell 30 metres onto rocks about 11.20am on Saturday.

A NSW Police spokesperson told 10Daily that the circumstances of the fall are unknown at this stage but it is likely a case of “misadventure”.

Bystanders rushed to help the woman as she lay at the base of the cliff at Diamond Bay Reserve, a popular selfie and tourist spot.

The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter was on the scene after the woman fell, winching a rescue crew officer onto the rock ledge to begin CPR.

Police, paramedics and surf lifesavers also tried to help. But the Sydney local could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Our thoughts are with family and friends,” lifesavers later tweeted.

https://twitter.com/clea_baker/status/1162554371885809664

The woman’s body was retrieved from the rocks by the police air wing.

“People moving around high cliff edges, they need to be careful of their surroundings,” NSW Paramedic Robi Reiner told Chennel Nine.

Dozens of people head to the cliffside location every day to take advantage of the photogenic scenery.

“They break the fence and climb down illegally and get down below,” one local told Channel Nine.

Waverley Council had earlier said it would crack down on thrill-seekers risking their lives for a social media-ready selfie at Diamond Bay, Network Ten reported.

The council is investigating measures to stop recurring incidents where “tourists and photography enthusiasts” fell and were injured or killed.

According to one social media site on NSW’s most photo-worthy spots, Diamond Bay “is definitely becoming Insta famous.”

Recommends the page, “If you can convince someone to sit on the edge while you stand at the top to get the shot it offers great perspective.”

The death is the latest in a string of selfie fatalities worldwide, with one study reporting 259 people died in the pursuit of photo opportunities between 2011 and 2017.

One person died while taking photos at the Grand Canyon in Arizona this year and in 2018 a couple fell about 243m snapping themselves at Yosemite National Park in California.

In May, an Oregon college student fell 30m to her death after climbing over a barrier to take pictures from a scenic cliff, the latest in a series of tragedies involving risky photo-taking efforts.

Last month, two British friends died after a plunge from a cliff on Spain’s Costa Blanca.

-with AAP