NextSharkNextShark.com

Singaporean Teen Falls to His Death Trying to Film a Snapchat Stunt

Singaporean Teen Falls to His Death Trying to Film a Snapchat Stunt

March 1, 2017
SHARE
A Snapchat stunt went horribly wrong after Singapore teen Jonathan Chow jumped over the railing in Orchard Central mall and fell four floors to this death.
The 17-year-old’s friend, Ruth, who was recording the stunt, said Chow wanted to take a video of each other leaping over the mall’s banister to a ledge below that he believed was made of concrete.
It turned out that the ledge was actually made of plasterboard, which collapsed underneath the teenager’s weight.
We both thought the ledge was made of concrete, but when he jumped, he fell straight through,” Ruth told local a news outlet TODAY. “I knew it was dangerous, but before I could stop him, he already jumped over. I swear I wanted to jump over too but I knew it was too late.
Her friend’s final words reportedly before he jumped were: “Help me take a Snapchat video and I’ll jump.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

Initial reports suggested Chow had accidentally dropped his phone over the banister and jumped to try to retrieve it.
But surveillance footage released by Orchard Central shows Ruth taking a smartphone out to film the stunt and her shocked reaction when Chow fell.
According to Complex, the tragic moment has sparked a heated debate on social media, with netizens divided over who is to blame for the 17-year-old’s death.
To give an illusion that the [ledge] was concrete was a foolish thing,” one user commented. “[A] sign should have been placed there lest people attempt to retrieve fallen items. A young life gone too soon.
Some believe that Chow is solely at fault for the incident, saying that, “A glass barrier of 1.2m was [there]… the fault lies entirely on the teen himself and nobody else.
Others blame the so-called “YOLO generation,” where people do incredibly dangerous stunts for views on the Internet.
Chow’s friends and family remembered him as having a cheery personality and sense of humor.
His father, Matthew, was shocked to find out about his son’s death last Friday, but he did not blame Ruth for what occurred.
Chow had been studying in Australia, but returned home to Singapore in December to await his national service.
He is set to be cremated on Thursday.
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Khier Casino

      Khier Casino is a contributor at NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.