They had been trying the stunt at the famous Bir-Hakeim Bridge, which connects the city’s 15th and 16th arrondissements and has views of the Eiffel Tower. It features in classic films including ‘Last Tango in Paris’ and ‘Inception’. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet confirmed his name or nationality.
It follows the death of a British teenager who died in the French capital earlier this year in similar circumstances. People have uploaded videos like the one above, boasting about how they carried out the dangerous craze. CCTV cameras caught the entire scene on Tuesday, including the victim’s friends running away from police who were trying to find them. They have still not yet been found.
At least one person who saw what happened had to be taken to hospital for psychological help as he was suffering from deep trauma. In January, a so-called’free runner’ from Guildford, Surrey, was found dead with head injuries between two trains on Line 6 at Passy, just across the river from Bir-Hakeim.
He was part of a ten-person group called Brewman which in December filmed themselves surfing the same bridge in Paris, and then running away from the police. A member using the name Rikke Brewer described himself as a ‘new and upcoming urban crazy explorer’. The French authorities have threatened anybody caught surfing on trains with prosecution, but it has not deterred those involved in the craze. A spokesman for the Paris RATP travel authority said: ‘Such behaviour is extremely dangerous, irresponsible and reprehensible.’
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