Australian diplomat falls to his death in New York City

— -- A young Australian diplomat fell to his death from a New York City building early Wednesday, police said, reportedly as he played a trust game on a ledge.

Julian Simpson, 30, was on the seventh floor of a Lower East Side building with his wife and others when he fell, landing on a second-floor terrace, New York City police said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

There's no apparent criminality, police said.

According to The Associated Press, Simpson and a group had first gone to a roof to look at the Empire State Building, which was lit in rainbow colors after a survey found most Australians support same-sex marriage, paving the way for lawmakers to vote on a marriage bill this year.

Simpson and others then went to a seventh-floor apartment terrace, "and Simpson offered to prove he was trustworthy by playing a trust game, going to a ledge and leaning back," the AP reported.

Simpson allegedly reached for another person's hand, but he slipped and fell, authorities said, according to the AP.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop said in a statement today, "I extend my condolences to the family and loved ones of Julian Simpson," saying his death occurred "in tragic circumstances in New York."

"Julian was a diligent, professional and highly skilled diplomat, whose support I valued, particularly during U.N. Leaders’ Week. He will be remembered as someone dedicated to the service of our nation as a member of Australia’s foreign service," Bishop said. "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to provide support to Julian’s family, and to other Australian diplomats in New York who have lost a valued colleague."