Dubai: The property developer of the Dubai skyscraper where a Russian model did a daredevil stunt in a video strongly condemned the act on Friday.
Cayan Group, the property developer of Cayan Tower, on Friday said Russian model Viki Odintcova and her assistants’ death-defying stunt of hanging off the edge of its roof without any restraints or safety precautions was done without their approval or permission.
The illegal act was revealed in a video that went viral on Thursday showing the 23-year-old visitor performing a stunt above the 306-metre-tall tower in Dubai without any safety gear. Dubai Police on Thursday said it is investigating the matter.
Reacting to the video on Thursday, Major-General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said individuals who perform stunts on top of skyscrapers without official permission could be prosecuted for endangering other people’s lives, given they could fall onto a pedestrian below.
Gizel Daher, director of Marketing and Communications of Cayan Group, said the act does not reflect the group’s commitments to art, creativity and the human spirit.
“Although the Cayan Tower has been periodically used for extreme sports events, in all cases, there has been safety, security, and emergency services on site. We have a process of selecting trained professionals skilled at their craft, especially for these high-risk, life-threatening events, and carry out a strict review of the safety measures and backup safety measures before approving the event,” Daher said.
The model and her assistants had not sought permission or approval, and had expertly breeched security to perform the stunt.
“Under no circumstances can we condone Ms Odintcova’s irresponsible actions, and we are in the process of reviewing our security procedures to understand and rectify where the lapse occurred and how to prevent such in the future,” he said.
The group is pursuing immediate legal action against all people involved in this incident.
