Daredevil plunges to death after stunt goes horribly wrong

The former movie stuntman was well known for fearlessly scaling towering skyscrapers without safety equipment. Photo / QQ / Weibo

A famous Chinese "rooftopper" fell to his death from a skyscraper in a daring $21,000 challenge as he sought to use his fame to help lift his family out of poverty, media reported.

Wu Yongning, 26, fell from the summit of the 62-storey Huayuan Hua Centre in the central city of Changsha, apparently as he tried to scoop 100,000 yuan ($21,000) for a clip promoting an unnamed sponsor, reports say.

The former movie stuntman had one million followers on the Chinese internet and was well known for fearlessly scaling towering skyscrapers without safety equipment, the Telegraph reported.

More than 300 videos of him tip-toeing on scaffolding or doing pull-ups as he hung from huge buildings were widely shared by his fans.

However, his account on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, went silent about a month ago after he purportedly attempted the Changsha skyscraper.

The former movie stuntman was well known for fearlessly scaling towering skyscrapers without safety equipment. Photo / QQ / Weibo

And last Friday his girlfriend wrote online: "Today is December 8th. It makes me think of November 8th, the day you left us and left this world."

The Changsha Evening News said Wu was seeking to make money for his poverty-stricken family and pay medical costs for his mother, who suffers from a mental condition.

Local officials said authorities would support his family following the accident.

Police confirmed that Wu died when he fell from the Huayuan Hua Centre on November 8, reports said.

His family were quoted in a news portal run by Beijing News that he was due to receive a huge cash payout for a two-minute clip on a Changsha skyscraper on the same date.