2 people climb to top of NYC’s Empire State Building, appear to get engaged

Two people could be seen with a banner at the very top of the Empire State Building in New York City Wednesday afternoon. 

The two, who appear to be a man and a woman, are wearing masks. 

“When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” the banner reads. 

It was not immediately clear how the two managed to climb all the way to the top of the radio and television transmission tower for local stations. 

It happened around noon Wednesday. 

Shortly reaching the top and flying the banner, one of the two began to descend, but then made their way back to the top. 

Police sources told CBS News New York the two appeared to be posting to social media while at the top. 

At the start of the incident, other people could be seen milling about on building’s observation deck below, as normal. The observation deck was later cleared. 

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. 

CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner reported the street below was closed off as the NYPD responded to the scene. 

Potential charges could include trespass and reckless endangerment, police sources said. 

“These guys are a little crazy. Climbing up and down that tower, especially in this heat, is very strenuous. It’s easy to make mistakes. It doesn’t look like they’re wearing any harnesses. There’s a lot of RF, there’s a lot of electrical energy up on that tower,” former CBS News New York chief engineer John Cleary said. “There’s potential for danger up there. It’s something that we’re trained to do. We go to classes for this … it’s not like you climb rocks. This is a live transmission tower. There’s a lot of danger up there.” 

It’s not the first time people have climbed the tower. In 2023, actor and singer Jared Leto climbed it to celebrate the launch of 30 Seconds to Mars’ 2024 world tour. He did so with permission. 

And of course, in the iconic film “King Kong,” the eponymous giant ape famously scaled the building. 

The Empire State Building’s top floor is at 1,250 feet high. Including the transmission tower, the building is 1,454 feet tall.

The iconic building is one of the top 10 tallest buildings in the U.S. 

Check back soon for more on this developing story.