The death of Wu Yongning took place when he plummeted from a 62-story building in 2017 while executing a daring feat of dangling from the building with one hand.
Navigating around the summits of tall structures without permission has become a phenomenon known as ‘roof-topping’ or ‘roofing’.
Usually, roof-toppers will perform precarious stunts while recording themselves for social media.
The perilous practice has claimed many lives, including the fall of Chinese man Wu Yongning from a 62-story building in 2017.
Wu was undertaking a perilous stunt of hanging off the building with one hand when he lost his grip and fell to his demise from the Huayuan International Centre in Changsha, a city in central China.
Queensland police stated they had not been informed of the incident, and no investigation was currently in progress.
Wu Yongning set out to engage in what he loved most – ascend a skyscraper without safety equipment and capture himself dangling off its roof by his fingertips.
What transpired next almost appeared inevitable – the Chinese climber fell, plunging 62 stories to his death.
His many thousands of followers grew concerned when he ceased posting videos of his stunts on sites like Huoshan and Kuaishou, but his death was verified first by his girlfriend, then by authorities.
A shocking video of what seemed to be his final moments – his fatal attempt to scale a building in Changsha city – began circulating online
His death has prompted uneasy soul-searching over the “cash for clips” internet video industry. Questions are now being asked about whether these platforms and their viewers are in some way accountable for his death.
While no one ever forced him to scale a building, some have queried whether Mr. Wu’s viewers also bear some responsibility for his death.
The debate over viewers’ involvement has intensified as more people around the world practice “roof-topping” and share their clips on social media – the craze swept Russia earlier this year and has already claimed several lives.
However, the question is particularly pointed in China because live streamers and viral video-makers can earn money from fans directly. Many Chinese video platforms allow followers to send virtual gifts, which can then be converted to cash.
Daredevils Capture footage on the rooftop of the 243-meter tower
A group of daredevils has uploaded videos of themselves precariously walking along the roof-top beams of a 243-meter tower they illegally climbed.
One video displays a member of the group walking to the very edge of a plank jutting from the Peppers Soul tower on Queensland’s Surfers Paradise and pointing the camera directly down at the dizzying sight of the beach far below.
Other shots, some of which are taken by drone, show the men relaxing having scaled the structures which sit on top of the roof.
None of the men were wearing any type of safety gear or harness, instead opting for t-shirts, shorts, and sandshoes.
Another video depicted the men carrying out a similar stunt on the roof of another high Peppers Soul structure.
The group was criticized online for their social media stunt with one person saying: ‘Simply foolish‘.
Another said: ‘They’re irresponsible imbeciles who endanger the lives of rescue personnel when things go wrong‘.
