On Wednesday, July 1st, a well-known “daredevil” couple secretly sneaked into and climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s antenna mast, which stands at a towering height of 1,454 feet (approximately 443 meters), without any safety precautions. The couple, amidst the high altitude, unfurled banners, shared a kiss, and even kneeled to propose on a narrow platform hundreds of meters above the ground, only to be immediately arrested by the police upon descending.
The involved couple hails from East Orange, New Jersey. The woman, Angela Nikolau, is 33 years old, while the man, using the alias “Vanya Beerkus” (real name Ivan Kuznetsov), is 32 years old.
At noon on Wednesday, under the blazing sun, the two individuals, dressed in all-black extreme gear, wearing helmets and black masks, ascended the Empire State Building’s antenna mast like geckos, using no safety ropes for protection, navigating their way up towards the towering antenna spire that pierces the sky.
Upon reaching the perilous edge of the narrow antenna mast, the couple unfurled a massive banner that declared: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
Standing on the antenna tower, they live-streamed and took photos in the scorching high altitude environment, completely disregarding the police helicopters hovering below and the large crowds of onlookers gathered on the ground. After approximately 30 minutes, they retreated down the spire.
However, the thrilling “influencer stunt” was not over yet. As the couple descended to a narrow platform a few feet wide at the base of the antenna tower, Kuznetsov suddenly kneeled on one knee at over 1,400 feet in the air, producing an engagement ring from his pocket, officially proposing to his girlfriend! Overjoyed, she accepted, and they removed their masks, shared a heartfelt kiss, and promptly showcased the “extreme” engagement ring on social media platforms in real time.
Reports indicate that the couple allegedly first purchased tickets to access the publicly open 102nd-floor observatory, then took advantage of lax security measures to forcibly breach and climb over a protective wire fence, trespassing into the visitor-restricted 103rd floor, and further scaling the antenna tower not open to the public via a maintenance ladder.
When the unforeseen incident unfolded, the New York City Police Department swiftly responded, urgently clearing the Empire State Building’s observatory and implementing temporary street closures in the building’s vicinity.
By around 1 p.m., the couple safely landed on the ground and were immediately apprehended by the officers. Currently, they face multiple charges including illegal entry and reckless endangerment of public safety.
It is worth noting that this is not the first instance of the Empire State Building encountering a “Spider-Man.” Back in 1994, the French “Spider-Man” Alain Robert successfully climbed the Empire State Building barehanded and was similarly promptly arrested by the police.