The friend of famed skyscraper climber Remi Lucidi, who fell to his death from the 68th floor of a tower, has claimed he ‘did not slip’.
Lucidi, 30, was climbing the Tregunter Tower complex in Hong Kong when he fell to his death last week.
Officials said he had arrived at the building at around 6pm on 27 July and told the security guard he was visiting a friend on the 40th floor.
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The person he claimed to be visiting confirmed he was not acquainted with Lucidi, and a security officer then attempted to apprehend him.
However, the daredevil had already gotten into an elevator, with security footage capturing the moment he arrived on the 49th floor before using the stairs to climb to the top of the building.
Lucidi – who was originally from France and known online as Remi Enigma - fell off the building before officers arrived and he was confirmed dead at the scene. Police found his sports camera at the scene.
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It is believed Lucidi became trapped outside the penthouse, with a resident in the property reporting that they had seen him knocking on the window at about 7.30pm.
Fellow urban climber and friend Dakamaru told The Mirror that he had spoken to Lucidi just days before his death, and believes he could not have slipped to his death - arguing that climbers of a 'certain level of skill' don't simply 'slip and fall'.
After meeting on Instagram 2020, the pair had completed a number of climbs together, and had plans to take a trip to France, and to climb the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
Dakamaru said: "We last spoke on Instagram a few days before the tragedy. He was excited about climbing buildings in Hong Kong. He said he took some beautiful photos."
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While he wasn’t sure if Lucidi had ever climbed the 721ft Tregunter Tower before, he said: "I suppose he has."
Dakamaru said planning such stunts can be a ‘loose’ process, saying ‘sometimes you cannot plan everything in life’.
He also argued that the tragic end to Lucidi’s climb was rare, saying it would not put him off similar attempts in the future.
"This doesn't happen often," Dakamaru said.
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"We do not just fall. Had my friend had any partner with him to back him up he would still be alive. A comrade would call for help."
He continued: "Tragedies such as my friend's never shake our core beliefs. We know what we're doing and why we're doing it. We are aware of the consequences. I can't imagine the process of people telling us: 'You might fall, it's dangerous, you will die if you fall'… Well, imagine what a massive revelation this is for us."
Dakamaru added: "When you reach a certain level of skill you don't just slip and fall. It's not possible. According to the witness, Remi was stuck outside of a window. It must have been a place that he could not manoeuvre out of. He must have spent enough time there to get tired and not be able to keep to it any longer.
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"The witness claimed he’d been out on the window knocking. Probably on a thin edge outside. Not much space to move. Probably no way to sit, turn, crouch or change position in any way. And no matter how physically fit you are, in such conditions you’re bound to get tired eventually."
Topics: World News
Jess Hardiman