A holiday built around travel and adventure ended in tragedy for 27-year-old Valentina Stragliotto after she plunged more than 30 metres from a waterfall in Sri Lanka while on vacation with a friend.

Stragliotto, an Italian national originally from Bassano del Grappa who had lived in Brighton for several years, died after sustaining critical injuries in the fall at the Ravana waterfall in the Ella area on September 24.

According to reports by The Independent, she had been visiting the popular tourist attraction with a friend when she reportedly lost her footing while on a rock and fell onto rocks below.

The fall, estimated at about 98 feet, left Stragliotto with catastrophic injuries. She was rushed to Demodara Hospital but died shortly after arriving.

Her death has drawn particular attention because travelling was a major part of her life. Reports from Italian media said she had worked in digital marketing and also collaborated as a coordinator for group travel, helping others explore different destinations.

Stragliotto had arrived in Sri Lanka only days before the accident, turning what was intended to be another overseas adventure into a fatal ordeal.

The exact circumstances surrounding the fall remain under investigation by local police. Some reports have said she may have been taking photographs shortly before the incident, but authorities have yet to establish the precise sequence of events.

Tributes have since emerged for the young woman, remembered by those who knew her for her interest in travel, nature and personal development.

Stragliotto had also developed a personal coaching project focused on confidence and professional growth, alongside her work in digital marketing.

Her death has left friends and colleagues mourning a young woman whose passion for discovering new places became central to her life — and whose latest journey ended unexpectedly at one of Sri Lanka’s best-known natural attractions.