Martin Harris (train surfer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other persons of the same name, see Martin Harris.

An Arriva train at Tim station, close to Ringkøbing

Martin Kelly Harris was a Danish train surfer, aged 22, who was killed on the evening of 12 May 2007 while surfing an Arriva regional train between Lem and Ringkøbing in western Jutland, Denmark.

Harris had been attending a football match in Herning with friends and was heading home to Ringkøbing. At the last station before Ringkøbing, he suddenly left the train. This puzzled his friends who were not aware he would continue the ride on the roof. On the segment between the two stations, the train passes under two viaducts. Martin Harris was killed at the second (northern) viaduct where the free height is only 74 cm. It has been speculated he may have been aware of the first viaduct but forgot there was a second one. Witnesses didn't notice the dead body on the roof of the train until it passed a road crossing just after Ringkøbing station, and police brought the train to halt before the next station, named Hee.

Harris published several video clips from his train rides and other Jackass-type stunts on YouTube. In September 2005 he was interviewed for the regional TV station TV Midt/Vest about his sport.

He is reportedly the first death victim of train surfing in Denmark.