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Marriage Proposal Goes Awry After Man Has To Be Rescued From Hanging Cliff And Gets Arrested

By Jason Fletcher
Published on: 08:31 PST, Apr 9, 2016

We’ve all heard stories about marriage proposals that have gone awry. Whether it’s dropping the ring on the beach, forgetting the ring or someone biting into a baked good and eating diamonds. It’s all part of the guy’s job to make the marriage proposal one of the most memorable moments of their potential spouse’s life.

According to the Miami Herald, Michael Banks of Fresno, CA, tried to make his marriage proposal just as memorable for his girlfriend. He came up with the idea of climbing Morro Rock, a 177-meter-tall volcanic plug just off the coast of Morro Bay, just after sunrise on Thursday morning. Banks then proposed to his girlfriend using FaceTime from Morro Rock, but that’s when the marriage proposal went awry.

Michael attempted to climb down the sheer cliff face, but became stuck on a rocky ledge. With no other options, emergency personnel had to be called in order to safely get Banks down from the rock. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was dispatched, as well as the Morro Bay fire and police departments, State Parks, and Harbor Patrol.

Morro Bay Fire Capt. Todd Gailey told the AP that Banks “took a different trail down, much steeper.”

“He couldn’t go any direction, on a sheer ledge, with his feet dangling 80 feet off the ground,” Gailey added.

As a result, the helicopter had to come in and save Banks from the ledge and if that wasn’t enough humiliation, he will have a hefty bill to foot as well.

“The gentleman will be billed for the chopper ride and other related costs,” the city of Morro Bay told ABC News. He also received a misdemeanor citation from the California State Parks.

The city also pointed out, “A rescue requires putting the lives of first responders at risk unnecessarily and requires the unnecessary spending of taxpayer dollars. The rock is a peregrine falcon habitat and is a sacred site for the Northern Chumash and Salinan Indian tribes.”

First reports suggested that Banks’ girlfriend accepted his proposal, but there have been conflicting reports since that doesn’t support that notion.

The City of Morro Bay said, “We are aware that there are now conflicting reports as to whether the proposal was accepted. We have no additional details.”

Add the price of whatever engagement ring he bought, the helicopter ride and the citation, and Banks’ daredevil marriage proposal is beginning to get awfully expensive. And then the story takes yet another turn.

Instead of returning home and recuperating from his eventful morning, Michael Banks decided to return to the rock later in the day, according to CNET. This time, there was something about Banks’ behavior that concerned someone in the area as the cops were called for a report of a man acting erratically.

Upon arrival, the Morro Bay Police Department discovered Banks and arrested him for allegedly being under the influence of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and for allegedly being in possession of it. The court set his bail at $10,000 and the investigation is continuing.

What an eventful day for Banks. He began with a romantic marriage proposal to his girlfriend and he ended up needing to have his life saved by the fire department and then ended up in jail for drugs. It definitely will go down as one of the most memorable marriage proposals gone awry.

[Photo by Bob Isenberg/AP Images]

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