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Man dies after falling off cliff, apparently distracted by electronic device

Posted at 6:48 PM, Dec 27, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-27 21:07:24-05

One man's Christmas Day ended in tragedy, and some are saying it may have been partially due to an electronic device.

Witnesses say Joshua M. Burwell appeared to be monitoring a device, getting distracted before falling off a cliff to his death at San Diego's Sunset Cliffs on Friday.

CNN affiliate KSWB quotes a county medical examiner saying, "Burwell was walking near the edge of Sunset Cliffs when he was witnessed to slip and fall about 40 feet to the rocks below."

The witnesses attempted to revive him with CPR to no avail until paramedics arrived and confirmed his death due to trauma.

The 33-year-old man was visiting from Indiana at the time.

He exited his vehicle near the cliff, looking for a good parking spot, according to the affiliate.