A 26-year-old Chinese rooftopping daredevil has died after falling to his death from a 62-storey building in Changsha, the capital of China’s Hunan province.
Police said Mr. Wu Yongning fell to his death from the Huayuan Centre, the tallest building in Changsha, on November 8.
The South China Morning Post had reported, on Monday, that Mr. Wu had stopped posting videos abruptly on microblogging site Weibo for more than a month.
Mr. Wu’s family told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, klaston Saturday, that he had taken part in a “rooftopping challenge” that promised 100,000 yuan (S$20,400) in prize money.
His step-uncle Mr Feng Shengliang told the media that Mr Wu might have risked his life for the prize money.
“He planned to propose to his girlfriend (the day after the challenge),” said Mr Feng. “He needed the money for the wedding, and for medical treatment for his ailing mother.”
Mr Wu, who was from Ningxiang in Hunan province, worked as a film extra before he turned to a career in rooftopping.
In February this year, he started posting about his exploits on Weibo, amassing over a million followers.
He regularly featured in social media advertisements and live-streaming platforms
The Beijing News had reported that Mr Wu’s girlfriend called the police on Nov 9, after he failed to return.
The South Morning Post reported that Wu was known for attempting his daredevil feats without any safety equipment.
He relied only on “martial arts training and careful planning”, according to one of his posts on Weibo. He had shared nearly 300 videos of his adventures atop various buildings in China. StraitTmes)