Frenchman in Hong Kong dies after ‘extreme sports’ fall from luxury Mid-Levels block
- Victim, 30, was last seen knocking on the window of penthouse in an apparent attempt to seek help before he lost footing
- Police are still determining if he was a tourist in the city
A Frenchman suspected to have been practising an extreme sport fell to his death from a high-rise residential block in Hong Kong’s upscale Mid-Levels, the Post has learned.
A source familiar with the case on Friday said the 30-year-old man was last seen knocking on the window of a penthouse at Tregunter Tower at about 7.30pm the day before.
The source said a frightened domestic helper from the flat had called police for help when she discovered the man at the window.
Man and woman die after falling from upscale Tsim Sha Tsui flat
The man had fallen off the building on Tregunter Path before officers arrived. He was certified dead at the scene. Police found the man’s sports camera, which contained some videos of extreme sports.
“A preliminary investigation suggested the man was an extreme sports enthusiast,” the source said.
“It is possible that he got trapped outside the penthouse while practising an extreme sport in the building, and he knocked on the window for help, but accidentally fell to his death.”
As the man’s French identity card was the only identification document found at the scene, officers are investigating if he was a tourist.
The source said police were also looking into why the man went to the Mid-Levels building to practise an extreme sport.
Man, 65, dies after falling from roof of Tai Po village house
According to the force, the man arrived at Tregunter Tower soon after 6pm on Thursday and told a security guard he was visiting a friend on the 40th floor. He entered a lift before the guard found out the resident in the said flat did not know him.
Security camera footage showed he left the lift on the 49th floor and was later spotted on staircases on the top floor.
Security guards also found the lock to the top floor of the building had been forced open, but failed to locate him. The man was later found dead on the ground level.
The source said an initial investigation had found nothing suspicious regarding the incident.
Hong Kong teenager dies after fall from 17-storey building
About a year ago, a 17-year-old secondary school student fell to his death from the roof of a 17-storey building in Tsim Sha Tsui while practising an extreme sport with two friends.
An investigation showed the teen was practising parkour on the roof of the Lock Road building, but lost his footing and fell. Parkour is an extreme sport involving quick movements through an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping and climbing.
In 2018, a 15-year-old boy, also a Parkour practitioner, cheated death in Yau Ma Tei when he plunged from the 19th floor of Man Wah Building on Man Ying Street. The teenager had gathered there with six friends.
He hit several air conditioners during his fall, greatly reducing the force of the impact when he landed. He was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for treatment.
