PARAGLIDER - Gets hung up on Statue of Liberty (pics)

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BBC Thursday, 23 August, 2001, 17:13 GMT 18:13 UK Paraglider crashes into Statue of Liberty

The paraglider was arrested after climbing to safety A man paragliding above New York Harbour flew too close to the Statue of Liberty and found himself caught in its grasp.

The man, identified by the Associated Press news agency as Thierry Devaux, a French stuntman, had been circling the 46m (151-foot) high statue in his paraglider.

But his motor-driven parachute became snagged on the torch and he was left dangling for about 45 minutes before managing to haul himself up by the parachute's ropes with the help of rescue workers.

New York City police, who were present at the scene, said the stuntman had intended to land somewhere on Liberty Island, carrying a sign protesting against the use of land mines.

It was not immediately clear whether he had hoped to land on the statue itself or on the ground.

He was handcuffed and taken into the custody of after the rescue, but there has been no announcement so far as to the charges he might face.

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of political freedom and democracy famous throughout the world.

It was given as a gift to the United States by France in 1886, and was designated a national monument in 1924.

It is so far unclear whether any damage had been done to it.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001


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