Flip flop fail: sandals banned in light of “stupid selfies” at Croatia’s Plitviče Lakes

A stream of serious injuries caused by tourists taking selfies will likely lead to a ban on flip flops and sandals at Croatia’s Plitviče Lakes National Park.

An innocent photograph soon turned to catastrophe in the latest incident, which saw a Canadian tourist sustain serious injuries after falling 70 metres from a high rock as he attempted to take a photo. Statistics show a huge increase in such incidents, with the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service now called out to perform around 1,200 rescues a year in Croatia, five times more than a decade ago.

“Dear tourists, we respect you. It’s time for you to start respecting yourself. So, stop making stupid and dangerous selfies,” the rescue service posted on Twitter.

“We will most likely soon not allow people to enter the park in summer clothing such as flip flops or sandals,” Plitviče Lakes National Park spokesperson Ognjen Borčić said in a statement to Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list.

We have found ourselves wondering why the park does not simply ban selfies instead — perhaps not being allowed to capture the perfect self-portrait with the park’s stunning waterfalls would be a cruelty too far.

This development comes after a string of similar selfie-related incidents in Russia, where the police stepped in last year to improve “selfie safety”.

Source: Croatia Week