Security at the Empire State Building is under scrutiny after a daredevil couple, known for scaling tall structures, climbed the building's antenna to stage a high-altitude marriage proposal. The incident has raised questions about access to restricted areas after a tourist reported seeing the pair slip through a mesh gate.
Julie Morris, a tourist on the 102nd-floor observation deck, told WABC-TV she witnessed the couple pass through a gate that appeared to lead to a restricted area moments before they ascended the structure. "Assumed they worked there and nobody stopped them," Morris stated.
Authorities identified the climbers as Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, a Russian couple featured in the Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story." They climbed the Empire State Building's antenna, unfurled a banner with a peace message, and then Kuznetsov proposed to Nikolau. Both were subsequently arrested by the NYPD Emergency Service Unit.
The pair faces multiple charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and trespass. Police are reviewing surveillance footage and examining how a locked maintenance hatch on the 102nd floor might have been opened. Detectives are investigating the methods used to access the antenna.
Building management issued a statement calling the climb "unauthorized" but asserted that "at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests." The statement also noted that the observation deck "does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals."
The stunt caused a temporary disruption to visitor access, with some tourists evacuated from observation decks during the police response. "Once you're out on the observation deck, I was like, I feel like we shouldn't be out here. It didn't really seem like super safe," witness Laura Staub told WABC-TV.
News helicopter footage captured the couple on the antenna without visible safety tethers before they climbed down. NYPD bodycam footage later showed officers apprehending them inside the structure. Nikolau later shared images of the proposal on social media.