The death of a young man who plunged off a cliff at Albion Falls is a terrible tragedy.

It is also not a surprise.

"We are trying to protect people from themselves," says Coun. Tom Jackson, whose ward includes Albion Falls.

A photo posted to Instagram just 45 minutes before the man died shows the glorious two-tiered falls spotted with people in precarious places. It is a perfect illustration of the stunning beauty of the falls, the popularity of the site and the risks some visitors take as they explore it.

[ One person dead at Albion Falls ]

Two men sit bare-chested on an upper ledge next to the rushing water, their legs dangling over the middle plateau some 40 metres below. Another couple of people are on the middle rock surface, close to where the falls crash onto that shelf. Toward the bottom — but still high enough to be treacherous — more visitors wade into the water itself. Some stand in ankle deep water in a calmer corner while another sits on an edge directly under the falling water.

The photo, taken by a woman from Mississauga, was posted at 4 p.m. Saturday. At 4:45 p.m. a man in his early 20s, visiting from out of town, fell 40 metres and died instantly. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other visitors fell at the same time and were rope-rescued by firefighters. Both were in "OK" condition, according to Hamilton Fire Department spokesperson Dave Forster.

One was a 38-year-old man with minor "scrapes and bumps." No information is available about the remaining person. It is unclear if all three people who fell knew each other.

Hamilton detectives are now doing a sudden-death investigation, although it appears the fatality was an accident, according to police.

As detectives, forensics officers and police supervisors worked at the scene Saturday, front-line officers turned away dozens and dozens of hikers and cyclists who continued to flock to the closed-off area.

Late Sunday, firefighters were back at Albion Falls to rescue a 25-year-old man with non-critical injuries, but police say that call was for a person in crisis and not a result of misadventure.

The large crowds at Hamilton's various waterfalls are expected whenever the weather is nice. But so are the dangerous high-angle rope rescues that have become a staple of weekend shifts for firefighters at Albion Falls, Webster Falls, the Devil's Punchbowl and others around the area.

A 60-year-old woman was rope-rescued from Albion Falls exactly a week before this death. Last July, a 55-year-old man died there in front of his family after falling seven or eight metres into a rocky area. In February 2016, a 21-year-old man slipped on ice, fell 12 metres and broke his back, shattered his arm and had a brain bleed.

Last September, a man in his 30s was found dead at the base of Devil's Punchbowl. Two weeks before that, a 49-year-old Hamilton woman was rescued after falling six metres into the bowl. Last June, two hikers had to be rope-rescued from there at 3 a.m. in a call that involved 25 firefighters. That same month, a 24-year-old man who accidentally fell 30 metres into the Punchbowl died later as a result of injuries. At the time, police said he'd been walking on the edge of the bowl, possibly trying to take photos.

On June 2, Jackson held a meeting with stakeholders involved with the safety of the falls. Police, fire and paramedic leaders were at the table, along with the Hamilton Conservation Authority, city lawyers and communications staff.

"I had a lot of brains around the table thinking of what we need to do to be absolutely safe and careful around our falls."

In 2016, Hamilton firefighters had 29 calls for rope rescues at local waterfalls, the highest number in five years. Six of those were at Albion Falls.

Putting up "massive barricade walls" is not an attractive option, says Jackson. But current public safety campaigns and warning signs do not seem to be working.

Building new pathways and putting up new "shock signs" declaring the number of deaths or rope rescues have been discussed.

On June 23, Jackson and his stakeholders will tour Albion Falls to survey its danger zones.

The popularity of the falls is a "double-edged sword," the councillor says. While visitors boost tourism and generate economic gains, safety is a huge problem.

"I care about every life," says Jackson, "but sometimes I'm just dumbfounded by the risks people are willing to take."

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Albion Falls busy today in the heat and people still taking chances day after man dies. @TheSpec pic.twitter.com/po4A8ICAf5

— John Rennison (@JLRenn) June 11, 2017

- Man, 25, rescued from Albion Falls, has broken arm