VIDEO: Lovers arrested after scaling New York’s skyscraper for proposal

Two individuals were arrested on Wednesday after bypassing security protocols to climb an antenna at the very top of the iconic Empire State Building in New York City, staging a dramatic wedding proposal before being taken into federal custody.

The duo, who have been identified as Russian roof-toppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, pulled off the stunt while wearing all-black clothing with their faces completely covered.

Upon scaling the peak of the 1,454-foot (443-meter) landmark, the couple unfurled a massive banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”

The banner has been reportedly recovered and an NYPD helicopter was sent, while the building’s observation deck was cleared of visitors as police arrived.

Confirming the containment of the situation, a New York Police Department spokesman told agency report AFP, “Two individuals were taken into custody without incident. There are no injuries reported. Charges are pending, and the investigation is still ongoing.”

Viral videos captured from the scene show the exact moment the man dropped to one knee to propose, after which they embraced and kissed at the extreme height.

Nikolau was subsequently captured on video taking close-up pictures of her hand, which is believed to have been fitted with an engagement ring.

Confirming the stunt, the duo uploaded a collaborative post on Instagram on Wednesday featuring high-resolution images of the skyscraper’s peak, the proposal, and the engagement ring, captioned simply: “Empire State Building, New York.”

In a separate video uploaded onto her personal Instagram story while the stunt was active, Nikolau told her followers: “Currently at the Empire State Building…you can watch on the city webcam.”

According to ABC News, the Russian couple are prominent serial stunt artists who frequently upload terrifying photos of their climbs across global skyscrapers and bridges onto their digital platforms.

While the Empire State Building’s lower observation deck remains safely open to millions of paying tourists annually, AFP notes that public access to any structural point higher than the deck, including the main transmitter antenna, is strictly forbidden.

Though some people have reportedly tried to scale the building in the past, it remains unclear how the duo reached the restricted antenna area.

News AZ notes that the two were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which Netflix describes as “a daredevil couple’s romance reaches dizzying highs and heartbreaking lows”.

Watch the videos below:

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤’𝐬 𝐒𝐤𝐲𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥

Credit: NBC News, ABC News. Instagram| anyuta_nyc pic.twitter.com/zDH7g7As7Q

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) July 1, 2026