- Video showed the moment a man dressed as Santa Claus fell from a height of 70 meters in Russia
- The climber had to climb down and greet the children under the high-rise
This is the horrific moment a man dressed as Russian Santa Claus slipped from a 24-storey building and fell to his death in Chelyabinsk, western Russia.
Amazing footage shows the professional climber attempting to abseil through the building using ropes to greet the children below – before the stunt went horribly wrong.
The man dressed as 'Grandfather Frost' is illuminated by a spotlight as he loses his grip and falls about 70 meters.
The red-robed Santa Claus was an experienced climber, but reports say he mixed up his safety ropes, leading to the horrific fall.
He landed on a snow-covered structure one floor above ground level, meaning the children couldn't see his body.
Grandfather Frost is seen in his red fur coat trying to rappel off the building
Footage showed Santa Claus standing at the top of the building as he prepared to climb down in a daring stunt
Onlookers initially thought the fall was part of the act and did not immediately understand the tragedy they had witnessed.
Among the onlookers were the man's wife and young child, reports said.
In the crowd a voice is heard asking in disbelief: 'He didn't fall…?'.
A man says: 'Now he comes out (to see the children)…he couldn't fall!'
An eyewitness said: 'My son didn't understand anything. Others understood and left in hysterics. All parents are of course in shock.'
Another said: 'Everyone had fun, and no one could even think this would happen.
'I thought until the last moment that it was some kind of dummy, that it was a joke.
'The festivities continued. There was no suspicion initially that this was a tragedy?'
The home management company that organized the event apologized for the incident and said the climber was an “experienced specialist.”
“Today's holiday has turned into a monstrous accident,” they said.
'An industrial climber dressed as Grandfather Frost (Santa Claus) fell while descending from his house and died.'
It was a 'terrible and completely unpredictable incident'.
The company said: 'We will do everything in our power to help police understand the reasons and never let this happen again.'
One resident said: 'My husband and son were there.
'There were many witnesses there, including children.
'For now, no one knows why he fell.
“Climbers wash the windows in our apartment building – and there's never been an emergency.”
A local source says: 'The man was doing tricks with climbing equipment when his wife and child were in the yard of the residential tower.
“They witnessed his death.”
Russian state investigators arrived on the scene.
They are reportedly investigating the circumstances of the tragedy and a possible violation of safety rules.
The dead man's age was variously reported as 25 and 35.
The man suddenly lost his grip and fell about 70 meters, landing on a structure above the first floor
The man landed on a platform, blocking the children below from seeing the body
Grandfather Frost – or Ded Moroz – is a legendary figure like Santa Claus who is recognized in Eastern Slavic countries, including Russia.
He wears a long red or blue fur coat, wields a magic stick and often rides a three-horse 'troika' chariot.
Unlike Santa Claus in the West, Grandfather Frost is helped by his granddaughter Snegurochka, which means the Snow Maiden.
The figure was banished during the Soviet era and considered a tool of the bourgeoisie, but later made a comeback in 1935 when Josef Stalin wanted to increase his own popularity.