Chinese Man Famous For Scaling Skyscrapers Films His Own Death As Stunt Goes Horribly Wrong

A famous Chinese daredevil known across the internet for scaling skyscrapers fell to his death while trying to raise money to get married and lift his family out of poverty.

Wu Yongning, 26, who had more than 1 million followers online, fell from a 62-story building in Changsha, Hunan, China last month, his girlfriend confirmed to Chinese media outlets. The young man, famous for climbing tall buildings without safety equipment, unwittingly filmed his own death.

“Today is December 8th. It makes me think of November 8th, the day you left us and left this world,” his girlfriend posted online last Friday, the Telegraph reported. Wu fell from the top of the Huayuan Hua Center, one of the tallest buildings in the city.

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As an internet celebrity, Wu had shared more than 300 videos of his death-defying stunts online before his luck ran out. Fans began to express concern after his account suddenly went silent.

The stunt that ended Wu’s life was part of a rooftopping challenge for $15,000 in prize money, according to the South China Morning Post. He was reportedly trying to win the money to propose to his girlfriend, as well as take care of his mother.

“He planned to propose to his girlfriend,” his step-uncle Feng Shengliang revealed. “He needed the money for the wedding, and for medical treatment for his ailing mother.”

Wu warned his viewers against imitating his actions, noting that he had martial arts training and had served as a stuntman in movies. One of his former companions claimed that Wu regularly “went a bit over the top, always trying things that are beyond his ability,” BBC reports.

The rooftopping trend, which has been growing in popularity, has resulted in numerous deaths around the world.