A man has perished after a fall down the elevator shaft at the abandoned Southwest Detroit Hospital, rekindling concerns over the dangers of urban exploration in the city's decaying structures.
Police sources reported to CBS News Detroit that the man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was found dead at the former hospital located on the 2400 block of 20th Street last Saturday morning. Initial indications suggest the individual was trespassing at the time of the accident. The Wayne County Medical Examiner's office is expected to ascertain the official cause of death.
ClickOnDetroit has contributed additional details, noting that a group ventured into the derelict building around 1:30 a.m., leading up to the tragic incident. The Detroit Police Department's investigation into the fall is ongoing, with no further information released at this juncture.
The site, which has lain dormant since its closure in 2007, is slated for demolition to make way for a new stadium for the Detroit City Football Club, according to the club's 2024 announcement. In light of the accident, Councilmember Mary Water issued a grave admonishment about disregarding the barricades that surround such dangerous locations. "There's a reason it's gated and says no trespassing. We need to be aware, don’t go into those places fenced in. You don't know what you'll meet there. When it says don’t go, do not go," Water told WXYZ Detroit ahead of a safety commission hearing.
