Planking death in Australia prompts safety warnings

Planking involves people lying flat on their stomachs in various and sometimes dangerous settings and then posting photographs on the internet.

The Facebook page planking Australia has attracted more than 100,000 followers from all over the world.

Twenty-year old Acton Beale was trying to lie face down on the railing of a balcony when he fell.

Queensland state police Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said the accident happened while one of his friends photographed him before dawn in Brisbane city.

Deputy Commissioner Barnett said the police had no problem with planking as long as it was done sensibly: “When you start doing it seven storeys up or lying across a railway line or in a range of other places that invite death or serious injury, that’s what we have a concern about.

“Ultimately, is it worth life in a wheelchair to take a funny photo to impress somebody you don’t know on the internet?”

Planking has grown in popularity, particularly in Australia where it has been given huge media coverage.

The accident prompted Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to warn people about the dangers: “There’s a difference between a harmless bit of fun done somewhere that’s really safe and taking a risk with your life.

“Everybody likes a bit of fun, but focus has to be on keeping yourself safe first.”