July 25, 2017
Things don't always go as planned now, do they?
Two men are facing a list of charges after trying to climb the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to take high-angle pictures from the structure overnight Tuesday but had to be rescued after getting stuck, according to multiple reports.
The incident happened around 1 a.m., when the men tried to climb up one of the Ben Franklin's 382-foot towers but became too afraid to go down the same way they entered, according to CBS3.
Traffic along both sides of the bridge was halted while members of the Delaware River Port Authority's High Angle Rescue Team harnessed up to perform the rescue, 6ABC reported.
The bridge reopened around 2:30 a.m.
Although it was initially reported that the two climbed the bridge and tried to spray-paint it, multiple news outlets reported Tuesday afternoon that Martin J. Romero-Clark, 30, and Andrew Lillibridge, 20, were actually trying to capture photos from atop the bridge.
UPDATE: Two photographers-not graffiti artists- charged for climbing up Ben Franklin Bridge overnight. pic.twitter.com/vpEgaHtEak
— Katherine Scott (@KScott6abc) July 25, 2017
6ABC reported that the pair make it a hobby to climb high rises and bridge to take pictures from high-rise angles.
PATCO service was also suspended, according to FOX29.
An update on the service's Twitter account noted that normal operations resumed around 3 a.m.
PATCO is resuming normal operations with the 3:00AM W/B train from Lindenwold and 3:04AM E/B train from 16th & Locust.
— PATCO (@RidePATCO) July 25, 2017
Philadelphia police said the incident was handled by the Delaware River Port Authority, which did not return an immediate request for comment.
