Overview
- The fall happened Thursday afternoon, July 16, when three people — police say two adults and their child from a single family — fell from the Harzturm and were pronounced dead at the scene.
- Emergency services were alerted at about 16:45, firefighters and police secured the site with privacy screens, and a county crisis‑intervention team has been supporting witnesses.
- Police have ruled out a technical defect on the 65‑metre wooden‑steel tower and any third‑party involvement, and investigators are continuing inquiries at the scene.
- Several media outlets and eyewitnesses report that both parents jumped holding the child and that the family came from Switzerland, but those specific details have not been confirmed by police.
- The Harzturm remains closed while local officials and the operator review safety measures, and the incident has prompted trauma support for staff, visitors and the nearby community.