A neighbourhood is in shock today after the horrific death of a young Hollywood stuntman who loved “parkour” – the urban sport characterised by fit young men who leap from building to building.
Carlos Lopez, a 25-year-old American staying in Lisbon, died in a pool of his own blood after misjudging a leap from a hotel window to a veranda in the building next door.
His horrified girlfriend watched as he plummeted 16 metres.
Elderly resident Natércia Gama was woken by the noise of the fall and went to investigate.
“I have never seen so much blood,” she told reporters. “I looked down into the interior courtyard we share with the hotel, and saw the young man sprawled on his back.”
As far as investigators can work out, Lopez – who performed as a stunt double in films like The Hunger Games 2 and Olympus has Fallen – was intent on trying out a new feat of what is also called freerunning.
He had apparently been practising “risky manoeuvres” throughout his stay at the Hostel GoodNight, in Rua dos Correeiros, to such a degree that the management had asked him to stop.
The daredevil leap he attempted in the early hours of Thursday morning involved a distance of around two metres.
Police and firemen called to the scene apparently saw at once that there was “nothing that they could do”, but it was also very difficult for them to gain access.
According to reports, Lopez body was only removed six hours after he fell.
Parkour, described as the art of movement, was developed in the late 80s by three young daredevils in France. It has since become a radical sport, with events taking place throughout the world.
