NEW YORK - Tourists from Newport News said witnessing the man from Virginia climb Trump Tower from the very beginning was like watching a movie.
Blake Crowson and Tyler Jones were visiting the public garden on the lower floors of Trump Tower when they spotted the 20-year-old climber from Virginia. "He was talking to himself, he seemed nervous," said Crowson. Then, he took off his basketball shorts, revealing the suction cups and ropes.
"Security came out, he went around the corner and suction cupped himself to the glass and that's when we were escorted down to the next level," said Crowson.
Jones said even though they watching the whole thing unfold, it didn't feel real. "It was something out of a movie. It was too surreal, we were up there playing tourist, we were there for three hours and it just didn't seem real to us. It just happened out of the blue."
The cat and mouse game between police and the climber lasted almost three hours. Police removed glass to prevent the climber from going higher than the 21st floor and waited for the safest chance to grab him.
"When that time came, I talked to my crew and let them know he`s at a level where I can grab him safely and pull him in," said Detective Christopher Williams of the Emergency Services Unit.
Jones said the huge crowd on Fifth Avenue supported police's every move. "When something good would happen where they'd open a window, everyone cheered because they didn't want anything bad to happen. It was a really good feeling."
The climber has been taken to the hospital for a psychological evaluation.
