Man charged for disturbing public order in China after parachuting off residential building

A man in southwestern China has been detained after he skydived from the top of a high-rise building in a residential community.According to a statement by the police authority of Chenghua district in Sichuan province, the 23-year-old man, surnamed Ren, skydived from the top of a tall residential building at 11pm on June 30 in an effort to boost traffic to his social media account.He shared the footage of his extreme sport activity online the next day, the Qilu Evening News reported.The video showed he was quite near residential buildings and trees while jumping with the parachute.Ren, above, prepping his dangerous night jump, reflecting a broader trend of creators risking their lives for viral fame. Photo: HandoutPolice said Ren’s behaviour had seriously disturbed public order and endangered public safety. He was put under administrative detention which lasted for up to 15 days in China.Ren, who had 60,000 followers on a leading platform, has now been banned from social media.The police reminded the public that skydiving can be carried out only with the authorities’ permission and can only be done in designated places.Without official permission, jumpers are prohibited from parachuting at public venues like downtown buildings and bridges.Anyone violating the law by parachuting from residential towers or in other areas with high population density would be severely punished, the police said.Ren is well known on social media as “Parachute Coach Kakaxi”. The news report said one video on his social media account was of him skydiving from the top of a residential building in May 2024.Ren claimed he was a parachute coach, but the police said they had verified his identity before confirming he had not yet received a coaching licence.Despite calling himself “Parachute Coach Kakaxi” online, police confirmed Ren does not hold a coaching licence. Photo: HandoutMany people on mainland social media were captivated by the story.Further Reading“It is too dangerous! It is possible that he will hit someone on the road. He puts not only his own life but also other people’s lives at risk. He should receive a serious penalty,” one internet user said.“Only for high online traffic, he did this regardless of the consequences. I cannot understand him,” said another person.A third netizen said: “I suggest the police detain him for a longer period. Without a heavy cost, I am afraid other people might follow his example.”Influencers who perform out-of-line activities – even risking their own lives – to achieve attention online are common in China.In June, a man in eastern Zhejiang province was caught by police after he shared a video on social media which showed him driving on an expressway at a speed of 152km/h. This is beyond the legal limit in China. The man was using a mobile phone to film while he was at the wheel.Skydiving in China has rapidly evolved from a niche military discipline into a booming mainstream trend. Photo: ShutterstockThe punishment included nine points deducted from his driving licence’s annual 12 points as well as a penalty of 250 yuan (US$35).In 2017, blogger Wu Yongning died from physical exhaustion while climbing a 260-metre-high building in central Hunan province during a live-streaming session.Wu once attracted wide attention for his extreme pursuit of scaling high buildings without any safety measures. He said he worked so hard to earn money to treat his mother’s illness.