Toronto, Canada – In a tragic incident that stunned onlookers, a well-respected lawyer met an unfortunate demise during a seemingly impressive party trick gone wrong. Garry Hoy, a 38-year-old lawyer at the Toronto law firm Holden Day Wilson, fell to his death from the twenty-fourth floor of a Financial District skyscraper. Dabbling in engineering and specializing in building safety, Garry had developed a fascination with the strength of office windows.
Known for impressing his peers with his ability to body check seemingly sturdy windows, Garry saw an opportunity to showcase his trust in the office window’s structural design during a welcome party for summer interns. However, during this ill-fated demonstration, the window pane unexpectedly popped out of its frame, causing Garry to plummet 24 floors to his immediate death upon impact with a stone block on the pavement below.
The incident prompted a structural engineer to comment on the remarkable instability of the window, stating that no building code in the world would allow a 160-pound man to collide with a glass window and withstand the force. Garry’s death, categorized as an “accidental auto-defenestration,” is considered exceedingly uncommon.
Despite the tragic outcome, Garry’s embarrassing demise earned him a posthumous Darwin Award. He was highly regarded among his colleagues at the law firm, being described as one of the best and brightest. However, the incident ultimately led to the closure of the firm three years later.
While the incident highlights the importance of structural safety in buildings, it also serves as a reminder of the risks associated with extreme party stunts. Garry’s ill-fated attempt to impress his colleagues serves as a cautionary tale, and his untimely demise reinforces the need for cautious behavior, even in seemingly harmless situations.
Ultimately, Garry proved his point about the strength of the windowpane – it was the frame that failed, while the glass remained intact. However, his curiosity and desire for a memorable party trick tragically cost him his life, forever immortalizing his story as one of the most unfortunate and embarrassing deaths on record.