SHIGA (TR) – Police are investigating the death of a 59-year-old construction worker who plunged 11 meters from a platform being built for the annual “Birdman Rally” over Lake Biwa on Monday morning, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (July 6).
At around 9:20 a.m., emergency services received a call from event personnel reporting that a man was in cardiopulmonary arrest in the water. The victim, a construction worker from Kyoto City’s Fushimi Ward, was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead approximately three hours later.
The fatal fall took place at an over-water runway constructed about 180 meters off the shore of Matsubaracho in Hikone City.
According to police, the victim was working atop the 11-meter-high platform with a colleague just moments before the incident. When the coworker briefly climbed down to retrieve some equipment and returned, the victim had vanished. He was subsequently found floating lifeless on the surface of the lake.
The victim sustained broken ribs and severe skull fractures in the fall. Investigators noted troubling details regarding his safety gear: while he had been wearing a helmet and a safety harness equipped with a metal hook during the setup, his helmet had sunk to the bottom of the lake, and the crucial life-saving hook was inexplicably missing from his belt when his body was recovered.
Police plan to conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and are investigating the precise circumstances that led to the fall.
The “Birdman Contest” is a popular annual human-powered flight competition organized by Yomiuri TV. The 48th iteration of the event is scheduled for July 25 and 26.
In a released statement, Yomiuri TV expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family. The statement said, “Police and relevant authorities are currently confirming the details of the accident, and our company is fully cooperating with the investigation.”
