Man dressed as Santa Claus dies after falling from 24th floor of building in Russia Reproduction: Twitter/@NuestroDiario 12/22/2023
A man dressed as Santa Claus died after falling from the 24th floor of a building following a botched maneuver in front of a crowd of onlookers including his wife and children.
The incident, which occurred in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, was captured on video and shared on social media.
The climber, whose identity has not been released, was attempting to rappel down the side of the skyscraper in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk to delight the crowd when he lost control and fell.
The victim was described as an experienced professional who somehow misplaced his safety ropes.
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Under the light of a spotlight, the man fell onto a snow structure one story above the ground, resulting in his instant death.
According to news agency e2westnews, witnesses initially thought the free fall was part of the maneuver and waited for him to appear and greet his children.
“My son didn’t understand anything,” said one witness. “Others noticed and became hysterical. Of course all the parents are in shock.”
Another passerby said he assumed the man was a mannequin and believed the situation was nothing more than a prank.
“The celebrations continued,” said the participant. “At first there was no suspicion that this was a tragedy.”
The building manager who organized the event apologized for the spectacle, which ultimately turned into a “monstrous disaster.”