A British man, who was caught climbing the Eiffel Tower on the final day of the Paris Olympics, has been released from police custody but is still under investigation for trespassing on a historical site, according to French prosecutors on Monday.
On Sunday afternoon, police evacuated the area around the Eiffel Tower after a shirtless man was seen scaling the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tall structure just hours before the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Games.
It’s unclear where the man began his climb, but he was spotted above the Olympic rings on the second section of the monument, just above the first viewing deck. Police intervened and arrested him.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation on charges of “endangering the lives of others and trespassing on a historical or cultural site,” as stated by the Paris public prosecutor’s office. The man’s police custody was lifted on Monday. He was not named but was identified as a British national.
The Eiffel Tower, which played a central role during the Olympics, including a performance by Celine Dion at its viewing area during the opening ceremony, was not involved in the closing event at Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
More than 30,000 police officers and security personnel were deployed across Paris on Sunday to ensure safety during the final day of the Olympics and the grand closing ceremony at France’s national stadium.
