Daredevil Couple Scales Empire State Building Spire, Gets Engaged

Spread love

By TRH World Desk

A couple free-climbed the Empire State Building’s spire, hung a banner about love and peace 1,454 feet up — then one proposed on the way down. Both now face multiple charges. Full story

New Delhi, July 2, 2026 — A quiet Wednesday afternoon at one of New York’s most-visited landmarks turned into a citywide spectacle when two climbers scaled the Empire State Building’s antenna spire, unfurled a banner, and staged a marriage proposal more than 1,400 feet above Midtown Manhattan — before being taken into police custody.

Just before noon on July 1, two masked individuals emerged near the top of the skyscraper’s transmission tower, clinging to the metal structure that houses the building’s broadcast antenna and red anti-collision beacon.

According to law enforcement sources, cited by ABC News, the pair appeared to have gained access through a hatch on the 103rd floor that is normally used for water tower maintenance — a level not open to the public.

Investigators were still working out exactly how the two made their way from the public 102nd-floor observation area into the restricted maintenance space above it.

Visitors on the observation deck initially assumed the climbers were authorized personnel. One witness, Julie Morris, told CBS News that a security guard denied anyone was allowed to the top, even as she watched the pair climbing.

“The Power of Love Beats the Love of Power”

Once at the summit — roughly 1,454 feet above the sidewalk — the couple unfurled a large black banner with bold white lettering reading a message about love triumphing over power and bringing peace to the world.

The phrase is widely attributed to musician Jimi Hendrix, though it actually traces back to 19th-century British statesman William Gladstone.

The two, dressed in matching black sleeveless outfits, held the banner near the spire’s glowing red beacon for several minutes while filming themselves for social media, all as stunned onlookers gathered below.

A Proposal Above the Skyline

As the pair began climbing back down, one of the climbers dropped to one knee on a platform partway down the spire. He then produced a ring and proposed; after she said yes, she admired the ring and wore it the rest of the way down.

The couple embraced and kissed before continuing their descent, capturing the moment on their own camera.

Police later identified the pair as Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32 — also known online as Ivan Beerkus. The two are recognizable “rooftoppers” who were the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary about their relationship and extreme climbs.

Police Response and Charges

The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit, a specialized tactical team, harnessed up and climbed the tower to bring the couple down safely, taking them into custody just before 1 p.m. Officers wore hard hats and safety gear for the ascent, and bodycam footage later released by police showed the moment of arrest.

Both climbers now face a lengthy list of charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. They were walked out of a Midtown police precinct Wednesday night.

Out of caution over radio-frequency exposure, the building temporarily shut down the antenna during the incident, and the observation deck was briefly cleared of visitors before reopening later that afternoon.

The Building Responds

Empire State Building management moved quickly to reassure the public that guests were never in danger, while also leaning into the romantic optics of the moment. A spokesperson said the incident posed no risk to tenants or visitors, and noted — with a wink — that “1-1” the Observation Deck does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.

Security experts, however, flagged the real danger involved. A former CBS News New York chief broadcast engineer noted the climbers appeared to have no harnesses and were exposed to significant radio-frequency and electrical energy on the tower, calling the stunt genuinely risky.

Not the First High-Wire Stunt

Unauthorized climbs of the Empire State Building’s antenna are rare but not unheard of. In 2023, actor and musician Jared Leto was permitted to climb to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor as part of a tour promotion — a sanctioned exception to the building’s strict rules.

Nikolau and Kuznetsov’s climb, by contrast, was entirely unauthorized and is now the subject of an active NYPD investigation, said US-based media outlets in their reports.

As of Wednesday night, both climbers had been released from a Midtown precinct to await further proceedings, newly engaged — and newly booked.

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