(Above) A young man sits at the edge of Marina City’s 61st floor observation deck in this image recently posted to Facebook. In the distance, LondonHouse hotel appears completed, evidence that the photo was taken in the past month. Photos by Nicholas North. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

July 2, 2016 – 543 feet above the Chicago River, a young man is seen sitting at the edge of Marina City’s observation deck, on the wrong side of a fence, in images posted to Facebook on Wednesday and Friday.

The man in the photos is identified as “Thelife Ofsolo,” most likely a pseudonym (“the life of solo”). They were taken by Nicholas North, who appears to be an actual Chicago photographer. Efforts to reach Ofsolo were entirely unsuccessful and North did not respond to an email requesting comment. His photography portfolio includes similar images, such as people sitting at the edge of a tall building and feet dangling over the side.

(Left) Feet dangle over the edge of Marina City’s east tower.

“Rooftopping,” taking photographs from the roof of a building accessed illegally, is a trend happening worldwide, including Chicago and with fatal consequence. In 2012, a 23-year-old man, Nicholas Wieme, died after climbing to the top of the 42-story Intercontinental Chicago hotel on Michigan Avenue to take photos but falling 22 feet down a smokestack.

Ofsolo and North were in an area decidedly off limits to anyone but trained professionals with safety gear. Professional daredevil Nik Wallenda started his 2014 high wire walk to the west tower from a similar space nearby.

The images were a surprise to a property manager at Marina City, who otherwise declined comment.