Dramatic helicopter footage captured the moment two people reached the very top of the Empire State Building’s 1,454-foot spire Wednesday afternoon, unfurled a large peace banner, and one proposed marriage to the other high above the streets of Manhattan.
The climbers, identified as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, free-climbed the metal framework of the iconic building’s antenna and spire structure. They reached the summit and deployed a black banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
The quote is frequently attributed to Jimi Hendrix but was originally spoken by 19th-century British politician William Gladstone.
As the pair began their descent, Beerkus pulled out a ring on one of the spire platforms and proposed. Nikolau accepted and placed the ring on her finger before they continued climbing down.NYPD officers responded quickly, with helicopters swarming the area and officers climbing the structure to meet the couple. The pair was safely taken into custody just before 1 p.m. ET.
The banner was recovered, and charges are pending as investigators determine how the climbers gained access to the restricted area.
Nikolau and Beerkus are experienced urban explorers known for scaling some of the world’s tallest buildings without safety equipment. Their exploits were chronicled in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.
The Empire State Building spire is a highly restricted zone, and unauthorized climbs like this carry serious risks. Authorities emphasized that officers worked to bring the pair down safely.
