Olivia Ku in a modeling pose. SCREENGRAB from YouTube
A Taiwanese model died during her mermaid-themed photoshoot in Pingtung County’s Hengchun township in Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon.
Reports from Daily Mail and Taiwan’s Apple Daily said Olivia Ku, 25, a glamorous Taiwanese runway model and native of Taipei, suffered an asthma attack while fitting on a mermaid tail costume for an underwater photoshoot.
The reports said Ku detached her breathing apparatus for ‘artistic effects’ as she positioned herself six meters below sea level.
Her body was pulled ashore by a rescue crew and they attempted to revive her through first aid but she remained unconscious. Local coastguards and firefighters then brought Ku to the nearest hospital where she was declared ‘dead on arrival’.
After news of Ku’s abrupt death was aired all over Taiwan, top modelling agency Eelin Entertainment clarified in a statement that the 160 centimeter-tall model was on a personal vacation and not on a work-related photoshoot. News speculated that Ku had flu before the incident, but her teammates were heedless of Ku’s physical condition.
Taiwanese police are still investigating the fatal incident.
Ku was an enthusiastic amateur diver for three years who volunteered herself in NGO sea-clearing drives. She left behind a four-year-old daughter from her former husband. Gianna Francesca Catolico
Screengrab from a YouTube video shows rescuers retrieving the body of Olivia Ku.