Who was Maria Eftimova and what happened to her? All we know as travel influencer dies at 28

Travel influencer Maria Eftimova died on February 22 after she plummeted roughly 65 feet from the Tryfan mountain peak. At the time, she was with her friends in Snowdonia, Wales. She was 28 years old.

E! News has reported that nearby onlookers rushed down to her aid as a member of the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation tried to perform CPR. However, the efforts proved futile, and she later succumbed to her injuries.

Maria Eftimova was a civil engineer turned content creator. According to Daily Mail, she had a "love for extreme sports" and has been described as a "beautiful" and "ambitious" woman with an "insatiable thirst for life and exploring."

She had well over 10,000 followers on social media and was an avid mountaineer who had recently finished an ice-climbing course in Norway. The outlet has also reported that she resided in Manchester and worked for a civil engineering firm.

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The life and legacy of Maria Eftimova explored:

In the wake of her demise, tributes have been flooding social media. Her loved ones have been grieving her death, and her best friend, Megan Griffiths, told the BBC:

"Maria was a one of a kind person who lived life to the fullest, not only adventurous and free-spirited but also incredibly kind, intelligent, and selfless. Her tragic loss will be felt by so many, and we are absolutely devastated to lose such a precious friend.”

Another friend, Victoria Critchley, has launched a fundraising campaign to help her family, who live in her native Bulgaria. She said, according to the Daily Mail:

"Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. She had a passion for engineering, having studied Civil Engineering at the University of Salford and a love for extreme sports. Her biggest passion being Snowboarding, which she was super excited for and looking forward to doing again on her upcoming trip to Austria. She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty. Tragically, she was taken from her family far, far, far too soon!"

She went on to note that her family now faces

"a significant financial burden to repatriate Maria and give her the dignified farewell with her loved ones that she deserves."

At the time of writing, the page has raised £19,293 (about $25,000) out of the £15,000 target. Donations have come in from well over 1,000 supporters.

Another friend, Jem Elder, penned:

"We will miss you everyday, forever Maria Eftimova. Your beautiful, uplifting spirt will always live on, you really were the very definition of loving life and living a happy, fulfilled life, inspiring others to follow in your footsteps. See you on the last climb."

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The tragedy of Maria Eftimova's demise comes just six days after another woman, Dr Charlotte Crook, 30, died in a freak accident in the same region. She plummeted to her death while trekking on Glyder Fach with a fellow medic.