As a new Spiderman movie is about to hit the theatres soon, two real-life daredevils have reportedly been arrested for pulling off a stunt which would even impress Peter Parker - they scaled the Empire State Building and reached the top of its needle on Wednesday (local time).
The duo even went on to unfurl a banner around 1,450 feet above the city and as per CNN, there was a proposal involved as well. However, at the end of their (mis)adventure, the duo found themselves in police custody.
After unfurling their banner and lingering on top of the needle for some time, two couple collected the banner and began to climb down, picking their way along the latticework of metal to a wider ledge, where one seemed to set up a piece of photography equipment and got down on one knee. After the two kissed again and hugged, the other person took selfies with an outstretched left hand, as if examining a ring, the Associated Press reported.
How the duo managed to get access to the Empire State Building is yet unclear. Building management later issued a statement saying the stunt was 'unauthorised' but did not endanger anyone in the skyscraper.
By this time, Police Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending a ladder in the spindly structure to intercept them. Police body camera video showed an officer calling out a greeting and explaining, “Well, you can't be up here.”
Then a voice is heard saying off camera, “We are engaged.”
The incident occurred in one of the most happening summers in New York City in recent memory. While there is a heatwave in action, thousands are coming into the city for the 250th American independence celebrations, on top of which the MetLife Stadium is hosting a number of FIFA World Cup games, and the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding also scheduled to be held at the Madison Square Garden this week.
“It's crazy — it's like being in the movies,” said Jonathan Roman, a tourist visiting from the Scottish city of Glasgow, to AP. He and his 15-year-old son had observation platform tickets but arrived to find the building blocked off because of the antenna activity.
Still, the spectacle was “probably more exciting than going up to the viewing platform for the second time,” Roman said.
Daredevils have previously climbed the antenna and other parts of the Empire State Building. Those ascents have largely been unauthorized, but actor and musician Jared Leto was allowed to climb up to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor in 2023 to promote a tour.
The climbers have a Netflix documentary on them
The two climbers, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, are not a regular couple. They are Russian climbers who have had a documentary made on them by Netflix called Skywalkers: A Love Story. The documentary explores their 'rooftopping' adventures.
Most of their adventures documented in Skywalkers... were also unauthorised ascents of tall structures, They also often posed as construction workers to find their ways in.
The banner which they carried with them to the top of the Empire State Building had a quote reading "when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace," a line widely attributed to legendary rock musician Jimi Hendrix.
With agency inputs