A photo posted on Facebook of a man planking on a roof. Paramedics spent 20 minutes trying to revive Mr Beale at the scene, but he died a short time later. Planking, which involves lying flat on one's stomach in unusual or different environments, is a burgeoning craze that has attracted thousands of online fans across Australia. Photographs of their exploits are usually shared through social media sites such as Facebook. Ms Gillard described the incident as "really tragic".

Acton Beale, 20, died after plunging to his death after a stunt known as "planking" went horribly wrong. Photo: Facebook "There’s a difference between a harmless bit of fun done somewhere that's really safe and taking a risk with your life," she said. "Everybody likes a bit of fun, but focus has to be on keeping yourself safe first." But within hours of Mr Beale's death, self-proclaimed "plankers" were encouraging others to take similar risks and posting photos of their feats online. "Plankers gonna plank, and haters gonna hate! Keep your planktivity up my fellow plankers!" one person wrote on Facebook.

We'd like to encourage any members of the planking group and the general public to undertake this in a safe and responsible fashion Photos of one man planking on the handrail of a mountain-top lookout and another man planking over the corner edge of the roof of a two-storey house were soon added to the site. Sam Weckert, the founder of the Facebook page dedicated to planking, which yesterday had more than 80,000 followers, denied the craze encouraged people to take unnecessary risks. "Planking was started as a fun and quirky past time and while we have no control over the actions of others we'd like to encourage any members of the planking group and the general public to undertake this in a safe and responsible fashion," he said in a statement. He said planking to date has been reported by the media and endorsed by television personalities including Kerry-Anne Kennerley and Karl Stefanovic in a light-hearted manner as fun and socially acceptable behaviour.

"We would like to encourage all planking members as well as the media not to sensationalise this tragic event. A precious life has been lost, thoughts should be with the friends and family of the individual," he said. However, people have condemned the craze following Mr Beale's death. "Planking ultimately is just stupid, there are pictures on Facebook of people climbing light poles and planking on the top of [them]. Now if that isn't asking for trouble then I don't know what is," one person wrote. Another wrote: "One life has been lost because of this! Think of what could happen if it went wrong. Don't be stupid ... think before you do this!" Mr Beale's death has devastated the central Queensland coastal community of Tannum Sands, south of Gladstone, where the 20-year-old was raised.

One family friend, who requested not to be named, said Mr Beale was a "credit to his family". "He was a very nice and respectful young man," she said. Mr Beale played AFL for the Boyne Island Tannum Sands "BITS" Football Club where he won junior and senior premierships. "He was always the first boy on the team to put up his hand to help," the friend said. "This is devastating news for our men. There are many people here too upset to talk."

Mr Beale and a friend had been out in Fortitude Valley and had been planking in various spots on their way home. Deputy Police Commissioner Ross Barnett yesterday said his worst fears about planking had been realised. "He has tragically lost his footing and fallen to the ground below," Mr Barnett said. "It is what we've been fearing." He did not say whether Mr Beale was intoxicated at the time of the fall.

Mr Barnett warned people against taking unnecessary risks in a bid to out-do each other for the ultimate photograph. "In some circumstances it can be fairly harmless ... but once you start taking it up seven storeys or on top of a set of traffic lights or on a set of railway lines or on a bridge it's putting a person in significant danger," he said. Last week a man was charged in Gladstone for trespassing on police property when he "planked" across the back of a police car. "If other people break the law during this activity they will be charged as well," Mr Barnett said. "But no penalty will ever return this young man to his family and friends.

"This is a tragedy and our condolences go to the family. "It might seem like fun, but as this episode has shown it carries risk." Loading - with AAP brisbanetimes.com.au will publish comments about planking below, however comments directly about Mr Beale's death will not be published.