A man attending a Dead & Company concert in New York City has died after he attempted to do a flip on a balcony and plummeted to his death, according to reports.
The incident took place at Citi Field in Queens on Friday night. The man, who was identified as Ian Matthew Crystal, the CEO of New York liquor company Evolution Spirits, "attempted a body flip, fell, and landed on the balcony below," a police source told the New York Daily News, adding that the landing was on concrete. He was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Queens, where he was pronounced dead.
A witness identified as Dan told the New York Post that he saw Crystal "flip" and hit the ground.
"He was unresponsive and he hit the ground head first. There was no way he survived," Dan said. "He was way too drunk. You could smell it."
Dan added that he saw Crystal's brother rush downstairs when he discovered he had fallen.
"His brother was with him. He was crying."
Police sources told the outlet that it was possible Crystal was under the influence when he fell from the fifth floor, which is estimated to be 30 to 50 feet high. A spokesperson from the New York Police Department told Insider that his injuries were "consistent with a fall from an elevated position."
"The male was transported in critical condition to New York-Presbyterian Hospital - Queens, where he was subsequently pronounced deceased," the spokesperson said.
"We saw someone fall from this ledge," a concertgoer, Sean Egan, who was one level up, recalled. "We see something fall and we heard him hit the ground. It’s terrible. I wish I didn’t see it happen … It kinda killed the mood."
An investigation is underway but officials said it did not appear to be a suicide and do not believe there was any criminality involved, NBC New York reported.
The Crystal's death comes days after Dead & Company announced that attendees to several of their shows would be required to prove they are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19. While many fans applauded the move, there were others who were dismayed. Some even resorted to selling their concert tickets and demanding refunds.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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