Two drunken American tourists were discovered sleeping atop Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower on Monday, after dodging security the night before, Sky News reported. The inebriated tourists were woken up early Monday morning by security guards as they were making their rounds before the landmark's 9:00 am opening time.
The publicly-owned operator of the Eiffel Tower, Sete, stated that the individuals had likely become stranded due to their intoxication levels.
They "appear to have got stuck because of how drunk they were", Paris prosecutors told AFP.
As per the report, the inebriated Americans had spent their night under the stars in a spot normally closed to the public between the tower's second and third levels, but "did not pose any apparent threat".
Notably, the duo purchased tickets for entry at around 10:40 pm on Sunday but jumped over security barriers while making their way down from the top. A team of firefighters, including specialists skilled in rescuing individuals from dangerous heights, was dispatched to safely retrieve the trespassers.
Both men were taken to a Paris police station for questioning, while Sete said it would file a criminal complaint. As a result of the misadventure, the opening of the tower to the public was delayed by approximately an hour on Monday morning.
Earlier on Saturday, a security alert prompted the evacuation of three floors of the Eiffel Tower. SETE said bomb disposal experts as well as police were scouring the area, including a restaurant located on one of the floors. Visitors were also evacuated from both the three floors and the square under the monument shortly after 1:30 pm (1130 GMT).
The magnificent Eiffel Tower, known as "la dame de fer" (Iron Lady in French), is 330 meters (1,083 feet) tall and is the tallest structure in Paris. The tower, France's most emblematic symbol, drew 6.2 million visitors last year.
Construction work on the tower began in January 1887 and was finished on March 31, 1889.
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