The family and friends of a 17-year-old girl who fell to her death from a high cliff south of Hobart on Saturday night have been left “distraught” by the tragedy.

Margaret Mary Lore fell from a height of about 15 metres late on Saturday night, police said.

Ambulance officers attempted to resuscitate her but were unsuccessful.

The Richmond teen was in a group of about half-a-dozen people who walked up to near the top of the cliffs, near the blowhole at Blackmans Bay.

Inspector David Wiss from Tasmania Police said the group had left a party in the nearby Summerleas Road.

“Some of her companions, it appeared, climbed over the fence,” Inspector Wiss said.

“She followed, lost her footing, and that’s where the tragedy occurred.

“This is a mistake of youth. It’s a terrible tragedy.

“The friends would be feeling really traumatised by what’s occurred. They’d probably be feeling a bit guilty. It’s not something that they could have prevented.

“This was a tragic accident.

“This was a determined group of teenagers, taking some risks, which led to some really unfortunate outcomes.”

Inspector Wiss met with the girl’s father this morning.

“You can understand how distraught he is,” he said.

“Also, her friends are distraught and so we’ll ensure there’s some appropriate counselling followed up during the week.”

Police are investigating whether alcohol could have been a contributing factor.

The girl’s name has not yet been released to the public.

-ABC