Australian Diplomat Falls Off Terrace And Dies During Trust Fall

An Australian diplomat died Wednesday after falling from a New York City building during a trust fall activity, WNBC reported Wednesday. Julian Simpson, Australia’s second secretary to the United Nations, fell five stories from the seventh floor of his Lower East Side residence early Wednesday.

New York City police found his body on the second-floor terrace of the apartment building on Clinton Street near E. Houston Street at around 1:35 a.m. After going to dinner and drinks with his wife and their friends, the group returned to Simpson’s home. They gathered on the roof deck to view the Empire State Building, which was lit with rainbow colors to celebrate Australia passing gay marriage legislation. While the group was drinking outside, Simpson, 30, led his brother-in-law, James Waugh, to a higher level of the roof, twirled her and allegedly scared her.

Waugh confronted Simpson about his actions, and Simpson said he never meant to scare Waugh’s wife. He offered to perform a “trust fall” on an apartment terrace. He went to a ledge, leaned back and grabbed Waugh’s hand before slipping and falling to a second-floor landing.

“I will prove to you that you can trust me," Simpson reportedly said prior to his plunge. "Let’s play the trust game."

Simpson apparently expected Waugh to catch him. Waugh told police he held out his arm as Simpson lost his grip and fell over the ledge. He was taken to Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“It is a tragedy. Our hearts go out to his family,” Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said to Australia’s Seven Network television. “I can’t provide any more details at this stage. It’s a shocking tragedy - a young life lost.”