CABO DA ROCA, PORTUGAL - A Polish couple fell to their death while apparently trying to take selfies with their children on the edge of a cliff in Portugal's Cabo da Roca.

The Independent reported that the family were on holiday and visiting the cliffs on the west coast of Portugal on Saturday. They were believed to be taking pictures of themselves when they fell, said the report.

ABC News said a Spanish couple at the location called emergency crews and rescuers tried to recover the bodies using a helicopter, but had to give up because of the rising tide on Saturday. The bodies were recovered on Monday, according to Polish Radio.

News website thenews.pl quoted Monika Dulian, Poland's consul in Lisbon, as saying the family had been living in Portugal for several years.

Dulian said she had no details of the accident, but it seemed that the couple crossed a safety barrier to reach the cliff edge.

The children's closest relatives had been contacted and are due to arrive in Portugal, she added.

The Telegraph reported that the children, aged 5 and 6, are now in the care of Polish diplomats and are seeing psychologists.

Cabo da Roca is a popular destination for tourists in the area and it is the far western edge of Continental Europe.