Rise of selfie-related deaths trigger Croatian National Park officials to beg tourists: 'Stop making stupid selfies'

Mountain rescuers at a stunning national park in Croatia are pleading with visitors to stop taking selfies after a tourist died and many have had to be rescued.

Pleading on their Twitter, Croation Mountain Rescue wrote: "Dear tourists, we respect you. It's time for you to start respecting yourself. So, stop making stupid and dangerous selfies. Thank you."

The Plitvice Lakes National Park in central Croatia attracts a million visitors a year but have seen a dramatic increase in selfie-related incidents.

Earlier this year, a 54-year-old Slovakian tourist died when she ignored safety warning and jumped over a fence to get a selfie on the edge of a cliff.

She isn't alone. Maria Braun, 82, also died when she fell from the same spot in August last year.

A 20-year-old Canadian tourist slipped 70 metres off a rock when she wanted a picture next to some waterfalls but she survived.

Authorities at the Unesco World Heritage have even banned tourists from wearing sandals as rescues keep increasing every year.

In fact, according to the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, at least one person dies every year at Plitvice Lakes National Park with as many as 1,200 rescue operations taking place.

And they claim that this is because visitors aren't following the rules set in place to ensure their safety.

Plitvice Lakes National Park spokesman Ognen Borcic said: "We will soon ban the entrance to the park in summer shoes, flip-flops, slippers, and sandals."