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Breaking News

Unidentified Man Climbs Brooklyn Bridge

Aired June 05, 2001 - 10:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to show you a live picture of someone who definitely is not disabled. This is a picture we're getting in from New York. This the Brooklyn Bridge, as it spans over the East River.

You can see traffic is stopped because there is a -- you can see -- make out there in the center of the screen a man who has been on these cables -- and now he's on the girders there -- and has been walking this high-wire act here on the bridge for quite some time. We've been watching this for at least the last 15 or 20 minutes or so, I believe.

We have no idea who he is or what he's trying to accomplish. We don't know if this is some sort of a suicide act or a stunt. One thing is for sure: He's a very acrobatic person. We've been watching him do some backflips, or he's been dangling by his knees from a couple of those cables above his head.

You can see there that officials have got plenty of squad cars. And there's an ambulance. And you can see a latter there. But this man been remaining rather elusive for the last few minutes or so. We have no idea what's going on, but we will keep an eye on it.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And he's been -- yes, as you mentioned, Leon, he's been scrambling from one end of the bridge to the other. And the police are trying to follow him. They are kind of hampered because they are actually trying to be safe. And they have a harness attached to the police officers that are trying follow him along the bridge.

And, as you did mention, now they're getting ladders out and trying to anticipate his move and get ahead of him. It looks like they're going to try to put an officer farther up the bridge and meet him at one end.

HARRIS: They tried that a few minutes ago. But he's a bit quicker than they are. So...

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: Yes, he is fast.

HARRIS: When they started to try to climb up there, he just basically went up a few levels and then went over them before they could get to him. So...

KAGAN: And, if nothing else -- yes, very dangerous. Once again, this is the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River. We will track the situation and get you more information.

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