D&D London's Coq D'Argent sees sixth person fall from 80ft viewing platform

18 January 2016 by
D&D London's Coq D'Argent sees sixth person fall from 80ft viewing platform

A 29-year-old man has fallen to his death from a viewing platform at London's Coq D'Argent restaurant, part of the D&D London group. He is the sixth person to do so since 2007.

The man is thought to have fallen from the platform, which is 80 feet (24 metres) high, just after 4pm on Sunday 17 January. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, confirmed by the City of London Police, soon after. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

A spokesman for the City of London Police said: "We were called at 16:09 hours yesterday, due to reports that a man had fallen from a building in Poultry, EC2. The ambulance services attended and pronounced the 29-year-old man dead at the scene."

The area around Poultry (pictured) and Queen Victoria Street was temporarily closed afterwards.

The incident is the latest to hit the City of London restaurant, which has now seen six people fall to their deaths since 2007.

It follows the confirmed suicide of food blogger Wilkes McDermid, who wrote a final blogpost detailing his "final meal" and saying that he was "tired of life", before falling to his death from the Coq D'Argent platform in February 2015.

A subsequent investigation from the coroner Dr Roy Palmer cleared the restaurant of any wrongdoing or blame, citing that it had done everything it could to prevent such incidents. In 2014, the restaurant installed six-foot high fences, and also instructed security guards to question anyone lingering on the rooftop terrace area alone.

Following the investigation into McDermid's death, the coroner said that the restaurant had made it "difficult, if not impossible, for people to leave the premises other than by the lift or the stairs".

A spokeswoman for D&D London today declined to comment on the new incident, and added that she would be grateful for sensitivity towards discussing suicide at this time.

The restaurant group D&D London was founded by Des Gunewardena and David Loewi, and also includes the sites Pont de la Tour, Sartoria, Skylon, Plateau, Orrery and the Blueprint Café. It also operates sites outside London, including Angelica in Leeds, plus international locations including Guastavino's in New York and Iconic in Tokyo.


Food blogger falls to death at Coq d'Argent >>


Man dies after falling from walkway at No 1 Poultry >>

Businesswoman who fell to her death from rooftop restaurant Coq d'Argent is third since 2007 >>

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