Woman Undos Harness, Falls 1,000 Feet From Sydney Tower During Skywalk Tour

An Australian woman fell thousands of feet to her death Thursday after reportedly undoing her harness during a viewing tour of the Skywalk Observation Deck at the Sydney Tower.

Police and paramedics rushed to scene after receiving a call that a woman had fallen from the tourist attraction in the Central Business District Thursday afternoon, the Courier Mail reported.

The woman was pronounced dead on arrival. Authorities closed the building and roped off surrounding areas until further notice. Police believe the victim intended to harm herself. Witnesses claimed the woman made threats on her life before she undid her safety harness.

NSW Police Inspector Robert Winkler called the incident "very traumatic," according to ABC News.

"The situation is it appears to be a self-harm related matter. As a result there was a large-scale response from police and emergency services," Wrinkler said. "This was a very traumatic situation and support has been given to a number of witnesses as well as police and emergency services."

According to reports, the tragedy left many stunned as the woman apparently became frantic and threated her life in front of fellow tourists. Police escorted one woman from the viewing deck in a wheelchair. A large number of first responders arrived and asked tourists to evacuate the area.

"There was an announcement saying there was a major incident and we all just had to go. They apologized and offered refunds," an eyewitness told 9NEWS.

The famed building, also known as Centrepoint Tower, provides a guided 45-minute tour of the Skywalk Observation Deck. The tower stands at 1,014 feet tall and is "ranked as one of the safest buildings in the world", according to the Sydney Tower Eye's website. It was constructed in 2005, with the ability to withstand "earthquakes and extreme wind conditions."