WATCH: Man Climbs Cables of NYC's Brooklyn Bridge

Amy FurrApril 8, 2022

A man climbed the cables on the Brooklyn Bridge early Thursday, and photos showed rescuers working to help bring him down.

According to video footage of the incident, “The man — described by police as approximately in his 20s — is shown descending the span as multiple ESU cops look on,” the New York Post reported.

His ascent began at approximately 6:30 a.m., then finally making it down around 8:00 a.m., according to law enforcement.

Photos showed the man, wearing a blue mask, black t-shirt, and red pants, as he held onto the cables the moment rescuers approached to guide him down.

He also appeared to have tucked a pair of shoes into his pockets:

Tense video shows man scaling cables of Brooklyn Bridge https://t.co/KinODwvEeg pic.twitter.com/6PLcjcwfka

— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2022

Later, EMTs laid him on a stretcher and he was taken into custody, police told the Post.

“While the climber was on the bridge, the right and center lanes of the Brooklyn-bound span were closed, according to an NYPD notification,” the article read.

Two lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge were shut down during peak rush hour traffic this Thursday morning, while the NYPD worked to get an individual off of the bridge suspension cables above the roadway. pic.twitter.com/xMe81DrLXK

— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) April 7, 2022

Witness Timothy David told CBS New York he saw flashing lights, then took out his phone to record the scene.

“As I zoomed in, I saw the NYPD along with several EMT ambulances crossing over from the Brooklyn side. And then when I panned all the way up, then I saw an individual in a red jacket, I believe,” he recalled:

[embedded content]

The outlet said the man was transported to a hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, but the reason for the climb remained unclear.

The Brooklyn Bridge connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to History.com:

Since 1883, its granite towers and steel cables have offered a safe and scenic passage to millions of commuters and tourists, trains and bicycles, pushcarts and cars. The bridge’s construction took 14 years and cost $15 million (more than $320 million in today’s dollars). At least two dozen people died in the process, including its original designer.

Although it is over 125 years old, approximately 150,000 cars and pedestrians use it on a daily basis.