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| Version 12 | Version 13 |
|---|---|
| Man held after Big Wheel climb | Man held after Big Wheel climb |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A man has been arrested after he climbed up the 60 metres high Belfast Wheel and balanced on top. | A man has been arrested after he climbed up the 60 metres high Belfast Wheel and balanced on top. |
| The 38-year-old, who was wearing nothing but shorts, scaled the outside of the wheel on Monday evening. | The 38-year-old, who was wearing nothing but shorts, scaled the outside of the wheel on Monday evening. |
| Trained police negotiators were called in. After two and a half hours, a specialist team of firefighters climbed up and led the man to safety. | Trained police negotiators were called in. After two and a half hours, a specialist team of firefighters climbed up and led the man to safety. |
| The man was a member of the Traveller community who had been involved in a protest at City Hall. | |
| Australian Dave Hamilton was one of five tourists on the wheel at the time. | |
| "I was on the wheel and I noticed a girl running across the ground screaming," he said. | |
| He was going nuts yelling, screaming and banging his head against the post. Dave Hamilton, eyewitness In Pictures: Man on a wheel | |
| "Then I saw the guy climbing to the top of the structure. He was going nuts yelling, screaming and banging his head against the post. | |
| "It was very scary we thought he was going to jump, but he climbed up to the top and then he stayed there." | |
| Roads around the city hall were closed and a large crowd gathered as emergency services arrived at the scene. | Roads around the city hall were closed and a large crowd gathered as emergency services arrived at the scene. |
| Deputy Fire Officer Louis Jones said it had been a "difficult rescue" and that when the crews arrived they had observed the man at "the top of the wheel holding on". | Deputy Fire Officer Louis Jones said it had been a "difficult rescue" and that when the crews arrived they had observed the man at "the top of the wheel holding on". |
| Emergency services outside the City Hall | Emergency services outside the City Hall |
| "We deployed our specialist rescue team who are trained to climb structures such as this," he said. | "We deployed our specialist rescue team who are trained to climb structures such as this," he said. |
| "They climbed up and made contact with the individual. | "They climbed up and made contact with the individual. |
| "Thankfully, it went well, but things like this are so dangerous, they could equally have a tragic ending." | "Thankfully, it went well, but things like this are so dangerous, they could equally have a tragic ending." |
| A number of people were trapped inside some of the pods on the wheel during the safety operation. | A number of people were trapped inside some of the pods on the wheel during the safety operation. |
| In May, councillors at Belfast City Hall voted to keep the big wheel on site for two more years. | In May, councillors at Belfast City Hall voted to keep the big wheel on site for two more years. |