On Wednesday, June 30, a 19-year-old Australian man "walked a tightrope" on the pool fence of Palipas Patong Resort in Phuket and fell to a 15-metre-high roof and was tragically killed. At the time of the crime, he walked on a wall with his hands raised, tiptoed around the wall while maintaining his balance, and began to walk back and forth along the wall, then toward a narrow white railing.
Unfortunately, he fell 15 meters and landed on the roof of the coffee shop. He was then rushed to hospital for treatment, but was pronounced dead shortly after due to his serious injuries. His body is undergoing an autopsy at Patong Hospital.
Police arrived at the scene after 5.50 p.m. local time. Police Lieutenant Colonel Kokiat Boonplod said: "People gathered around the restaurant and saw foreigners on the roof. He lost consciousness, so someone called an ambulance. Everyone was shocked that he had fallen to his death. The roof of the coffee shop was shattered and there were several tiles on the floor. Police have notified the Australian Embassy, which has links to the deceased's family.
The deceased, Joshua James Connell, said police lieutenant colonel Kokiat Boonplod, who fell from a nearby restaurant, wearing shorts and no shirt. CCTV has been viewed from the hotel and do not believe others are linked to death.
Local officials are now interviewing hotel staff about Joshua's behavior before the incident and why he climbed the wall. Notably, on May 17 last month, another 22-year-old Australian, Billy James Simmons, fell from a building on the same island and died. Police found drugs and alcohol in his room. Evgenia Smirnova, a 37-year-old model from Russia, fell from the balcony of an eighth-floor hotel in Phuket on May 31.