Two intoxicated US tourists 'trapped' overnight up the Eiffel Tower
Joseph Ataman, CNN • Updated 16th August 2023
Paris (CNN) — Two American men were discovered on Monday after spending a drunken night up the Eiffel Tower, the monument's management told CNN on Wednesday.
The two men, who had Sunday evening tickets for Paris' famous iron tower, were "allegedly trapped there due to their excessive alcohol consumption," the Paris prosecutor's office told CNN.
The tourists were found asleep early on Monday morning by Eiffel Tower security staff doing their rounds ahead of the monument's opening, according to the prosecutor's office and SETE (Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel), the operator that runs the site.
The tourists were then "quickly removed" and handed over to Paris police, SETE said in a statement to CNN. SETE will press charges for the intrusion, the operator said, although they admitted that the two men presented "no threat".
"As no damage was found, the fine for trespassing on a historic or cultural site was dismissed," the Paris prosecutor's office added.
As a result of the men's overnight stay, the tower opened late on Monday, SETE confirmed.
