Seattle police are on the hunt for two men who made a bold and illegal leap from one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks — the Space Needle — late Friday night.
According to the Seattle Police Department, the two individuals purchased tickets and entered the Space Needle around 8:50 p.m. Friday. Once inside, they blended in with regular visitors before heading to a restroom, where they changed into helmets in preparation for their stunt.
Surveillance cameras captured the men at the top level of the 605-foot structure. After emerging from the restroom geared up, they sprinted toward the glass wall on the observation deck, climbed over to the outside, and launched themselves off the edge — deploying parachutes on the way down.
Space Needle security lost track of where the men landed, and officers who responded to the scene were unable to locate either individual. Authorities have not yet identified the two, describing them only as white men believed to be in their late 20s.
Public Affairs Officer Brian Pritchard confirmed that the jumpers are facing trespassing charges.
The stunt is known as BASE jumping — an extreme sport in which participants leap from fixed objects and use a parachute to land safely. The acronym BASE stands for the types of structures jumpers typically use: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and Earth.
The Space Needle had not responded to requests for comment as of Saturday.
