This is the moment a man and a woman were pictured trying to take the 'perfect selfie' on a knife-edge cliff-top which measured just 19 inches wide - with a sheer drop of 120ft either side.
The young man, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, was then seen posing for a solo shot as the woman snapped away on her smartphone, both just one small misstep away from plummeting to their deaths on the jagged rocks below.
The incident happened at the top of Old Harry Rocks - a set of iconic rock formations near Swanage, Dorset - on Sunday.
The dangerous stunt came as at least six others drowned across England over what was the hottest weekend of the year so far - while two died from a heart attack and heat stroke while playing sports in the searing temperatures.
The influx of tourists stretched emergency services to the limit on Saturday and Sunday, prompting several warnings against reckless behaviour.
A Swanage Coastguard spokesman said: 'The photograph was taken by someone fishing at 8pm near Old Harry Rocks.
Dangerous moment couple pose for pics on a cliff edge in Dorset on Sunday as experts plead for Brits to behave responsibly in the summer weather
The cliff edges of Old Harry Rocks in Dorset where the couple were seen posing for pictures (circled in red) - and where one small misstep could have seen them plummet to their deaths
A Swanage Coastguard spokesman said the chalk making up the cliffs in Dorset (pictured) can easily cause someone to slip, particularly in high temperatures
'We went to the area the following day and spoke to members of the public and asked people to stay away from the cliff edge.
'The cliff, which the man was on the edge of, was no wider than 50cms.
'As the temperatures rise, it becomes even more dangerous because the cliff is made of chalk.
'The heat can erode this material especially when stood on - and people can slip very easily.
'The cliff edge looks like a path, but it isn't - there is a drop at each side and it's extremely dangerous.
'The two people did not just put their lives at risk, but could potentially put others at risk who may have to save them.
'It may seem like a spot to get the perfect selfie, but a sudden slip can be fatal.
