Police apprehended a man ascending the architectural marvel of the Eiffel Tower on Thursday, leading to a temporary detainment of the monument’s visitors at its pinnacle. These stranded visitors included an unexpected duo- an intrepid reporter from The Associated Press and a couple from Washington, D.C., who seized the fortuitous lull to make a lifelong commitment, deciding to get married in the City of Love.
Engagement plans had been in the pipelines for Amir Khan, intent on popping the question to his beloved, Kat Warren, in the serenity of a Parisian garden. A romantic dinner on the enchanting River Seine was also part of the agenda. But, life’s twists of fate and the sudden halt of the lifts due to the audacious climber at the tower left the lovers and several others stranded at the vertex. Sensing the opportunity, Khan chose this extraordinary circumstance to unveil his surprise.
Their high-altitude ordeal was narrated to Pat Eaton-Robb, a New England-based AP newsman who found himself similarly stranded, and highlighted their quick wittedness acceptance of the situation. “I reckoned we might be here longer than predicted,” confessed a sheepish Khan to the AP reporter. “So, in order not to miss our dinner, and since she had always envisioned being proposed to on or under this iconic tower, it seemed like the perfect moment to ask.”
Warren’s jubilant response, a resounding “yes” echoed throughout the summit of the tower, “He’s always had a high probability of me saying ‘Yes,'” she admitted later, with a giggle. After all, when one is confined atop a towering structure of over 1,000 feet, how could she possibly say ‘No’?
This unscripted twist of events was taken in good humor, with Warren even jesting, “Had that not been the case, another desperate soul might have been caught climbing the Eiffel Tower today.”
Alice Beunardeau, the Communications Director for the Eiffel Tower, revealed that the hubbub brewer, the climber, was discovered sandwiched between the monument’s second and third floors. A specialty team of adept firefighter-climbers responsibly escorted the man to firm ground, upon which he was promptly taken into custody by the police.
Beunardeau subsequently learned that the climber had been in possession of a banner devoted to American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. The specific message remains sketchy, although she conjectured, “‘Free Billie Eilish,’ sounds about right.”
AP’s Eaton-Robb and his wife Kathleen had an eventful one-week sojourn in the French capital. Earlier on Tuesday, they had been part of a mass evacuation from the Palace of Versailles amid security concerns. All in all, it was a truly unforgettable week showcasing Paris’s unpredictable side.
