KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — A friendly game of pickleball turned into a nightmare in Malaysia when a 32-year-old player fell three stories to his death after leaping for a stray ball, only to have the safety netting beneath him tear apart.
A Fatal Error
The tragedy unfolded on December 2 at the Playa Racquet Club, a trendy spot known for its rooftop courts and city views. Horrifying footage of the incident captures the unidentified man climbing over the court's perimeter fence to chase down a ball.
Thinking he was safe, he jumped onto a section of mesh netting that covered the gap between the building's edge and the court. But the mesh instantly failed under his weight, ripping open and sending him plummeting to the concrete below as stunned onlookers rushed to the edge in panic.
Sudden Death Investigation
Police and paramedics raced to the scene around 9:45 p.m., but there was nothing they could do. Wangsa Maju district police chief Mohamad Lazim Ismail confirmed the man died from the impact.
"The deceased was playing pickleball on the third floor and had climbed over the court’s fence to retrieve a ball and fell to the lower floor," Ismail told reporters, adding that the case has been classified as a sudden death investigation.
Club Breaks Silence
The Playa Racquet Club issued a somber statement following the death, asking for privacy for the victim's family.
"We are deeply saddened by a tragic incident that occurred at our facility, which resulted in the loss of a life," the statement read. "We kindly urge the public to refrain from speculation while the appropriate authorities carry out their investigation."
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