Authorities in Paris have confirmed that an unidentified 25-year-old man from Israel has jumped to his death from the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.
According to HuffPo, the man — initially falsely identified as a British national by French officials, because he spoke in English — scaled the tower’s western pillar at around 11:30pm on Sunday, when it was closed to the public.
Attempts to talk the man out of his suicide mission proved unsuccessful as he hurled himself off of the French landmark from a spot between the 2nd and 3rd levels, some 1,000 feet above the ground.
“The man was spotted after he started climbing, and negotiations took place, but he had apparently made up his mind to end his life. When he got to between the second level and the top, he jumped,” police officials told the UK’s Daily Mail .
On Monday, the Eiffel Tower was open as usual after the incident but that did not stop a 30-year-old woman from trying to re-stage Sunday’s suicide jumper.
Fortunately, local firemen intervened and were able to talk the woman out of the suicide attempt. After being airlifted off the iron-clad structure by helicopter, she was taken to a nearby hospital where she was undergoing psychological tests.
Eiffel Tower management refused to comment on the number of suicides at the site every year, saying only: “It is always too many.”
Built in two years by engineer Gustave Eiffel as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower is an iconic part of the Parisian skyline.
With nearly 20,000 visitors per day, the 1,063 foot structure is one of the most visited tourist sites in the world.
