Parachutist gets caught on Statue of Liberty; rescued, then arrested

Associated Press

NEW YORK – A man using a motor-driven parachute to glide above New York Harbor was arrested Thursday morning after he became snagged on the Statue of Liberty’s upraised torch and had to be rescued by police.

The man, who could be seen hanging on the outstretched arm of the statue, was pulled to safety by New York City Police officers on a deck directly below the torch just after 10 a.m. The bright orange parachute had been draped over the torch since about 9:30 a.m.

Police said the man, identified as Thierry Devaux, 41, had intended to land somewhere on Liberty Island, carrying a sign protesting the use of land mines. It was not immediately clear whether he had hoped to land on the statue itself or on the ground.

The man, who tried a similar stunt last year with less fanfare, was not injured, police said.

Devaux had a propeller-driven motor that looked like a giant fan strapped to his back. There is a sport called powered paragliding that uses a backpack engine, called a paramotor, that allows gliders to cover greater distances and heights without the need for wind. It also allows gliders to start from level ground, instead of a high point.

Members of the NYPD’s emergency service, harbor and aviation units responded to the scene.

The man was handcuffed and taken into the custody of the National Park Service Police. Charges were not immediately released.

The bizarre scene left hundreds of early morning tourists, already lined up for their turn to climb the 22-story monument, shaking their heads in disbelief.

Joanne Gebdes, a tourist from New Zealand, was on her way up to the Statue’s crown when security guards told everyone to turn around. When she got out, she said, “We saw the parachuting guy just hanging there by nothing but a few strings.”

Gebdes said her first thought was: “He must have been bloody stupid to do it.” Her second was disappointment. “We’re only here for three days and it was our only opportunity to visit,” she said.

The statue is 151 feet high from base to torch. From the bottom of its pedestal to the torch is more than 300 feet.

The park is accessible by ferry from Manhattan and New Jersey. It had 5.3 million visitors in 1999, the last year for which figures were available.

Standing at the entrance to New York Harbor, near neighboring Ellis Island, the statue is one of the most recognized in the world. A gift of international friendship from France, the statue dedicated in 1886 and designated a National Monument in 1924. It was extensively restored in time for its centennial.