In an apparent stunt gone wrong, French social media daredevil and photographer Remi Lucidi has died after a fall from a skyscraper in Hong Kong.
Police in the region said they discovered the body of a 30-year-old man on a patio near Tregunter Tower on Thursday, according to numerous reports. Authorities believe Remi Lucidi, who used the name “Remi Enigma” on social media, may have fallen from the 68th storey while attempting a type of extreme sport.
Lucidi regularly posted photos to Instagram — where he had a considerable following — of himself scaling the peaks of urban skyscrapers and high-rise buildings around the globe.
The practice, often called buildering or urban climbing, sees thrillseekers scale or traverse buildings or artificial structures to reach the top. Buildering (a combination of the words “building” and “bouldering”) is extremely dangerous and often illegal, and therefore usually done at night.
Police believe Lucidi likely fell from a ledge outside the tower. Suicide is not suspected.
Lucidi reportedly entered the building complex on Thursday and told security he was visiting a friend on the 40th floor, according to the South China Morning Post. Authorities believe Lucidi instead rode the elevator to the 49th floor, where he climbed stairs to the top of the building. Lucidi may have forced a locked door open in order to gain access.
Police said Lucidi was seen next when he frantically knocked on the window to the tower’s 68th-floor penthouse suite around 7:30 p.m. local time. They believe Lucidi may have been trapped and was asking for entry back into the building.
A maid inside the penthouse suite called police but did not allow Lucidi entrance.
It is believed Lucidi likely lost his footing and fell to his death. His camera, which allegedly contained footage of extreme sports, was found alongside his body, police said. Police also received a complaint about a gas leak in the building but said Lucidi’s fall may have broken a gas pipe.
Investigation into Lucidi’s death is ongoing.
Only three days before his death, Lucidi posted an Instagram photo from Hong Kong.
Amid news of his death, Lucidi’s followers have flooded his comments with remorse and well wishes for his family.
According to The Independent, Lucidi began buildering in 2016. Over the years, he shared photos of himself from building peaks all around the world, including Dubai, Ukraine, Bulgaria and France. He often used a camera-equipped drone to record breathtaking footage of his climbs.
In March, Lucidi posted a photo of himself with his feet dangling over a very tall structure apparently near Chernobyl in Ukraine. He captioned the photo “My Comfort Zone.”
Buildering is common around the world, including at home in Canada. The practice is illegal and often requires an urban climber to trespass or break and enter into private property.
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