Two people climbed to the very top of New York City’s Empire State Building, unfurled a banner, and then apparently got engaged Wednesday afternoon.
The two have since been taken into custody.
They have been identified as Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, law enforcement sources told CBS News. They live in East Orange, New Jersey, and have a history of conducting similar stunts, climbing tall buildings without ropes or other safety equipment.
The climb
It started at around noon Wednesday, when a man and a woman, who could be seen wearing masks, reached the very top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a large black banner with white lettering.
“When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” the banner read.
Preliminary information indicates the two got in through a hatch on the 103rd floor used for water tower maintenance, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
The 103rd floor is not open to the public, though the 102nd is. The question is now how they got from 102 to 103, which allowed them to climb all the way to the top of the radio and television transmission tower for local stations.
Shortly after reaching the top and flying the banner, one of the two began to descend, but then made their way back to the top.
“I just assumed they were allowed up there”
At the start of the incident, other people could be seen milling about on building’s observation deck below, as normal.
“We were right at the top. I could see two people open the gates — the mesh gates — they opened the gates, and they went up to the top,” witness Julie Morris said. “I just assumed they were allowed up there.”
Morris said they were not wearing masks when they began their climb up. She said there was a security guard present.
The observation deck was later cleared.
The proposal
An NYPD helicopter responded to the scene. At 12:35 p.m., the two began to descend from the top.
Incredibly, once they hit one of the lower platforms on the tower, the man dropped to one knee and appeared to propose to the woman. The two then embraced, the woman removed her mask, and they kissed.
A social media post appears to depict the proposal and its aftermath from Nikolau’s point of view.
CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner reported the street below was closed off as the NYPD responded to the scene, including their elite Emergency Services Unit. The NYPD released police bodycam video of the moment officers took them into custody at the top of the building. It happened at around 1 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Potential charges could include trespass and reckless endangerment, police sources said.
Empire State Building on “unauthorized incident”
“The unauthorized incident at the building has been resolved with the constructive and helpful coordination of the NYPD. There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests,” an Empire State Building spokesperson said.
They added, “It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”