Some people will go a long way to increase their social media following. In the pursuit of fame and the ultimate adrenalin rush, Russian model Viktoria Odintcova did just that when she risked her life to take a dangerous selfie in Dubai.
In a video posted on her Instagram account on February 3, the model stands with a companion on the rooftop ledge of Cayan Tower in Dubai Marina.
Dressed in denim hotpants, a plunging t-shirt and trainers, Odintcova is seen leaning back over the edge of the fondly named ‘twisty tower’ while holding onto her friend’s hand. A portable camera clenched between his teeth, records the footage.
She then lowers herself down over the side of the building with nothing but a 300m-drop and the busy waterways of the marina below her. With no safety harness, and still using just one hand, the model twists in the wind – and flicks her hair over her shoulder – as she completes the death-defying stunt.
Her Instragram post has attracted more than 387,000 views and 2,600 comments to date.
“Crazy!!!” wrote one @patyuberti, “This is called beauty without brain!!!” typed @boylungangte and “stop doing that” posted @halohodor.
This is not the first time Odintcova has courted publicity with her skyscraper antics in Dubai. A longer six minute of the same stunt was originally uploaded to YouTube on January 26 and the footage is believed to have been shot in December last year.
The edited YouTube montage - which shows behind-the-scenes footage of Odintcova and three of her friends preparing for the prank - has so far attracted more than 1 million views.
Cayan Tower has confirmed to The National that they did not grant permission to Odintcova to access the rooftop and film her video. They will be pursuing a legal course of action against the Russian national regarding the breech of security.
“Although the Cayan Tower has been periodically used for extreme sports events, in all cases there has been safety, security, and emergency services on site. We have a process of selecting trained professionals skilled at their craft, especially these high-risk life-threatening events, and carry out a stick review of the safety measures and backup safety measures before approving the event,” explained Gizel Daher, Director of Marketing & Communications.
“Under no circumstances can we condone Ms. Odintcova’s irresponsible actions, and we are in the process of reviewing our security procedures to understand and rectify where the lapse occurred and how to prevent such in the future.”
rduane@thenational.ae