Thread: Planking craze claims first life

A BIZARRE craze where people pretend to be planks of wood claimed its first victim today - after a man fell seven storeys to his death.



Acton Beale, 20, plummeted from a seventh floor balcony at a block of flats in Brisbane, Australia, after an evening out "planking" with a pal.
The new crazed sees participants lie face-down on objects with their heads down and bodies by their sides to while someone else takes their picture.
It is thought Acton fell suddenly as he tried to lay on the balcony railing of his apartment at 4am.
His pal may have been filming the event, but paramedics who rushed to the scene were unable to save him.
Queensland police issued a statement Sunday in which they urged"'plankers' to re-think their actions" following his death.
Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said: "Police fear that as planking gains popularity there may be more injuries and potentially further deaths.
"The potential for disaster increases as more and more risks are taken to get the ultimate photo."
The prank has become an internet sensation since participants started sharing photos of their antics online, sometimes in terrifying settings.
A Facebook page called Planking Australia has more than 55,000 fans who have been posting photos of planking in usual places including on top of a McDonald's sign and railway tracks.

Planks a lot ... craze has started sweeping Facebook
Australian man Nate Shaw, 20, was last week charged after police saw a photo of him planking over a police car.

The Australian police are using John Deere lawnmowers for patrol cars now?

Saw that on the news last night the bloke made a mess he didn't bounce when he hit the ground

Plonking is more like it.

Sad to see a young guy lose his life, but WTF was he thinking?

Stupid damn Aussies

4 AM and pissed no thinking involved.

The phrase thick as 2 short planks springs to mind

Now he can forever be a plank in his grave

Darwinism at work.

Originally Posted by blue

Police fear that as planking gains popularity there may be more injuries and potentially further deaths.

plenty of potential . . .

Is it just Australia ? Or has it gone global yet

I can see a lot of Farang deaths being attributed to this if the BIB get wind of it

The Thais have had a craze like this for years

It's called Starfishing

Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii

Is it just Australia ? Or has it gone global yet

I can see a lot of Farang deaths being attributed to this if the BIB get wind of it

yes - this week's headline "67 yr Brit falls from Pattaya Tower in planking prank gone wrong"

and in France - Notre Dame (but could be an Oz on holiday)

You have to admit, Australians certainly know how to enjoy themselves.

Originally Posted by genghis61

http://resources1.news.com.au/images...r-facebook.jpg

This one is vaguely interesting, the others are rubbish.

A BIZARRE craze where people pretend to be planks of wood claimed its first victim today

Nonsense. Thais have been doing this en masse, and dying due to it since they invaded this land.

Stupidity seems to know no bounds. Does "What a plank" mean the same in 'strine as it does in English?

change the 'p' too a 'w' and we are talking the same lingo.

Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii

The phrase thick as 2 short planks springs to mind

Now he can forever be a plank in his grave

they could use him to make his own coffin

I'm still not convinced this is not some sort of spoof. Make that refuse to believe.

WTF, these people have the same amount of brains as a plank. May be Im getting old & just don't understand.

well fcuk me,ive seen it all now, whats up with the youth of today?

I suppose it's an improvement on happyslapping old people on the bus

This is probably a CIA cover up story.

Post-Obama waterboarding. No board and no water....yet still they die.

Looks good fun... I do it in bed most nights.