What should have been a happy night ended in a fatal accident Chelyabinska Russian city that celebrated Christmas with a children’s show.

A 25-year-old man died after falling from 24 floors He performed a maneuver dressed as Santa Claus. He had to descend the building with ropes to surprise the children who were waiting with their parents under the Christmas tree.

Although the man was an experienced climber, the safety ropes failed and Santa fell from the 24th floor. The accident was captured on video by one of those present at the event.. The couple and the man’s son were also in the audience.

As the man tries to hold the ropes, the crowd is confused, as they didn’t know if it was all part of the act or if they were really going to witness an accident.

According to ABC, one of the witnesses expressed his surprise: “Everyone was having fun and no one could even imagine this would happen. I thought until the last moment that it was some kind of doll, that it was a joke. The festivities continued. At first there was no suspicion that it was a tragedy.”

The company that managed the event released a statement apologizing for what happened: “Today’s holiday turned into a monstrous accident. “An industrial climber dressed as Santa Claus fell while descending from his house and died.” (JO)