Annika Ferry had been exercising with a friend when the tragic incident occurred. Photo / Facebook

A young university student has been identified as the woman who died after suffering a serious head injury in a fall on Sydney's northern beaches.

Annika Ferry, 21, had been exercising with a female friend on a popular walking track in the area when the incident occurred about 6.15am on Wednesday.

The track, in the national park at North Head in Manly, leads to a number of historic bunkers and overlooks the ocean from high cliffs.

Acting Inspector Stuart Byrnes said Ferry had suffered "a severe head trauma".

Asked how she had fallen, he said on Wednesday: "There was only two people there, and one of them has gone to hospital in shock.

"We're still trying to get to the bottom to the lead-up of it all."

He said any suggestion she had tripped and fallen on her head was subject to investigation.

Ferry's friend tried CPR and contacted emergency services, who struggled to locate the pair in the dark and dense bushland.

Despite efforts to revive Ferry, she died at the scene, police said.

Insp Byrnes said the two women were friends and both Northern Beaches locals.

"Our thoughts go out to the family, it's a very sad accident," he said.

Insp Byrnes said Ferry's body was retrieved by a police rescue crew and taken from the area by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

COMMUNITY 'DEVASTATED' BY THE LOSS

Ferry was a renewable engineering student at Sydney's University of New South Wales and was recognised on the 2019 Dean's Honours List.

She had travelled to Norway and Sweden for an immersion program in September last year.

"The huge array of people we were introduced to really broadened my perspective on what life could be like once I actually leave university," she said in a video posted to a student Facebook group.

"All the amazing people we met were so humble and they were so willing to share their life stories, and how they had gotten to where they were, it was really great."

She said she had been inspired by the start-up scene and motivated "to do something meaningful" with her life.

Ferry is the daughter of Jim Ferry, who is a prominent obstetrician and gynaecologist in the Manly area, and schoolteacher Helen Ferry.

According to social media, Dr Ferry and his daughter travelled to Antarctica together in 2017.

Facebook has been flooded with messages to the Ferry family regarding their loss.

Monique Welshman from Brookvale gym Tone Athletica said they were "devastated" by the tragic news of Ferry's death.

"She was a shining light in our little community and we loved her for it," she said on Facebook.

"We'll desperately miss her and she'll forever be in out hearts."

A report will be prepared for the coroner.