‘Planking’ craze claims life in Australia

BRISBANE – A new craze sweeping the Internet known as “planking” has claimed a life in Australia with a man attempting the fad plunging to his death from a balcony Sunday.

Planking involves someone lying flat on their stomach with their arms against their bodies in unusual and sometimes dangerous situations, with photographs of their exploits shared through social media sites.

It has gone viral in recent weeks with Facebook page Planking Australia boasting almost 10,000 fans and hundreds of photos of people lying on train tracks, escalators, fire hydrants, motorbikes, and other objects.

Police last week warned “plankers” of the dangers they faced and their worst fears have been realized with the death of a man in Brisbane who plummeted from the seventh story of an apartment block and died at the scene.

“This morning we have seen a young man take this activity a step further and attempt to plank on a balcony. Unfortunately he has tragically fallen to his death,” Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett told reporters.

The man and another person had been out during the night and were planking in various locations on their way home.

“It is what we’ve been fearing,” he added, but could not say whether it was Australia’s first death from the craze.

Last week, a 20-year-old, also in Queensland state, was arrested after being allegedly found “planking” on a police car and charged with being on police equipment without lawful excuse.