Auckland Council has installed razor wire in Victoria Park after a skateboarder fell to his death in January.
The 25-year-old man was attempting to 'drop-in' from the top of the emergency fire exit for the motorway tunnel which runs underneath the park. The structure features a sloped wall which acts as a feature in the skate plaza, but is not intended to be used as skating equipment.
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On January 27 the man was seriously injured after he fell from the emergency exit. An eye witness told Stuff that he spent an hour and a half on top of the exit, before making the fatal decision to try to skate down the wall.
He died two days later in hospital, and his death has been referred to the Coroner.
Auckland Council general manager community facilities Rod Sheridan says that following the man's death, the Council has worked with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to prevent people from accessing the top of the exit.
Razor wire has been installed around the edge of the structure, as well as signs instructing skaters to keep off the roof, which Mr Sheridan says has "removed the risk".
A security guard has also been stationed at the skate park.
"We have also been reviewing the design of the ramp to identify how we can remove any further risk of similar accidents occurring in the future," says Mr Sheridan.
"This has involved consultation with a specialist skate park designer and we will be engaging with skate park users before any changes are made."
He says the council is not aware of any other accidents of the same magnitude at the skate park since its redesign in 2011.
Newshub.
