Santa's deadly plunge shocks Russia: Man falls from a skyscraper during Christmas stunt
The unfortunate event happened on Thursday evening, December 21. In a residential neighborhood in downtown Chelyabinsk, a Christmas event for children was taking place. A key highlight of the event was the appearance of Santa Claus, set to dramatically descend from a 24-story skyscraper.
1:55 PM EST, December 22, 2023
Tragic incident in Russia: a 35-year-old man, dressed as Santa Claus, dies in plunge
A 35-year-old experienced climber was tasked with performing this dangerous stunt. The entire event was captured on video by spectators, which later found its way online. The video shows a man, donned as Santa Claus, preparing to descend from the top floor of the building.
The man went over the balcony railing and possibly attempted to secure himself to the safety lines. However, he suddenly slipped and fell. The crowd, mistaking the situation for part of the act, burst into cheers. The spectators, including many children, were under the impression that the fall was an impromptu part of the show.
"When we asked the organizers, 'Was this intentional?', they replied, 'Possibly'", said Dmitry, a reader of a Russian online platform.
The climber fell behind a smaller building, shielding his fallen body from the view of the audience. Speculations began to circulate among the spectators, with some suggesting it was a distasteful prank by the organizers, while others believed that Santa Claus was actually a mannequin.
Despite the tragic event, the party carried on in a blissfully ignorant manner. The reality of the man's death only came to light later. His wife and daughter were among those who watched the event unfold.
The regional prosecutor's office has proclaimed that it will investigate the company responsible for organizing the event. Preliminary findings show that the incident happened due to violation of safety regulations.
