Shocking car surfer video serves to warn South Africans about tragic risk-taking

A tragic risk taker in Durban, South Africa, climbed out of the sunroof of a moving vehicle to car surf and sadly lost his life just seconds later when he lost his balance and fell, breaking his neck.

The horrific 25-second video, taken by a passenger in a following car, shows the soon-to-be-victim getting onto the roof of a Volkswagen Polo, and raising himself to his feet. The barefoot man then appears to find his balance, and points his arms skywards… but after just five seconds, he falls and somersaults off the back of the car, landing head first.

Tragically, it’s reported he broke his neck and died instantly.

There has been a mixture of sympathy and a lack thereof, with over 850 comments on Arrive Alive’s website after the video went viral. The shocking footage has also made news abroad.

Arrive Alive warned viewers that the video is not for sensitive viewers and said they were posting it to show the types of behaviour that lead to South Africa’s high road fatality rate.

The driver in the car behind can be heard saying: “I don’t know what this oke is doing. He’s lost his mind, lost his mind.”

When the car surfer falls, the driver hoots and says: ”Ja I was waiting for that, I was waiting for that.”

While some insensitive comments have been posted, Jenny Khoury wrote:

“Yes it was a stupid thing to do, but frankly everyone has done something dumb in our youth and fortunately have lived to tell the tale. This youngster’s family are in bits and my sympathy to his family and I pray he rests in peace.”

Car surfing involves riding on the roof while another individual drives the car and has resulted in numerous deaths and serious injuries since the craze began in the 1980s.

According to US stats based on newspaper cuttings, 58 car surfers passed away and a further 42 suffered serious injuries in the US between 1990 and 2008.

The South African Police Service’s press office said it could not trace the tragic incident which happened just in front of the Wellington Hotel on the Bluff in Durban, late last week.

To use any of the text or photos, please contact Jamie Pyatt News Ltd.

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