Eiffel Tower evacuated after man climbs iconic structure
The Eiffel Tower was evacuated Monday after a man scaled the iconic Parisian landmark, where rescuers were seen trying to persuade him to give himself up as he dangled just below the highest viewing platform.
Live images showed a firefighter and another rescuer perched on the 1,063-foot tower’s wrought-iron struts as a negotiator spoke with the man, who France’s BFM-TV said had threatened to commit suicide.
“The man entered the tower normally and started to climb once he was on the second floor,” a spokeswoman for the tower’s operator SETE told Reuters.
Authorities cordoned off several streets near the tower as crowds of onlookers gazed upward at the perilous operation, which forced the monument to be evacuated.
It was unclear how the man managed to get past the strict security system in place at the tower, which was retrofitted a year ago with bulletproof glass to protect it from terrorist attacks.
Los Angeles residents Justin and Karen Smith, who had celebrated their wedding Sunday in front of the tower, were hoping to get to the top Monday.
“We’re disappointed,” Justin told Agence France-Presse.
Canadian tourists Sylvie and Celine Forcier also expressed their disappointment, lamenting that they were only in the City of Lights for a week.
An official with SETE operator told AFP it was standard procedure to clear the tower of visitors in such circumstances.
“We have to stop the person, and in that case we evacuate the tower,” the official said.
The esplanade underneath the monument also was evacuated, as was a large section of the adjacent Champ de Mars park.
“We kindly advise our visitors to postpone their visit,” SETE added on Twitter.
It’s not the first time someone has tried to scale the major tourist attraction.
In 2012, a British man climbed to the top before plunging to his death.
In 2015, British “freerunner” James Kingston climbed it without safety ropes and without permission — dodging security cameras as he ascended.
Two years later, the tower also was evacuated after a man ventured out onto one of the beams and threatened to commit suicide. Police were able to talk him into coming back.
The lattice tower — named after its designer and builder Gustave Eiffel – was constructed between 1887 and 1889, and is one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks.
Some 7 million visitors a year visit the tower, which last week celebrated its 130th anniversary.
With Post Wires