‘French Spider-Man’ arrested after scaling high-rise CBD building without harness
A daredevil who scaled a 55-storey building in the city without a harness has fronted court alongside his cameraman friend who was charged with public nuisance.
Police & Courts
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Police have arrested two men following a daring free solo climb up a 55-storey building in Melbourne’s CBD.
French national Anthony Andolfo, 29, was handcuffed and shoved into the back of a police vehicle following the dangerous climb early on Tuesday morning.
He was charged with reckless conduct endangering life.
A second man, Hugo Frohlinger, a 25-year-old French national, who was allegedly filming the stunt on a drone near the scene, was also arrested and charged with public nuisance.
Shock footage taken by bystanders shows a man climbing unassisted, with only a parachute strapped to his back, up the 55-storey building on the corner of A’Beckett and Elizabeth streets.
Firefighters and police were at the scene as the man began the ascent about 7.10am on Tuesday.
Mr Andolfo, a French blogger known for performing extreme stunts, was able to reach the top without injury where police are believed to have apprehended him.
Lucas Uzzo, 25, was capturing the climb from the ground as the man scaled the front of the building along Little La Trobe St.
Mr Uzzo said the man was a free solo climber who had scaled about five buildings, on multiple continents, in the past.
The climber scaled more than 50 storeys according to residents, with Mr Uzzo saying he thought he had no heavy-duty climbing equipment or parachute during his ascent.
“No parachute, nothing – only his hands and his feet,” he said.
He said his friend had been arrested before for climbing buildings in France and Spain.
The pair are believed to have made their way to Australia two weeks ago to attempt the climb.
To prepare for the free solo, Mr Uzzo said his friend had been rock climbing for years, saying he had inspiration from a masked comic superhero.
“He’s a French Spider-Man,” Mr Uzzo said.
The climber filmed and posted the climb to his Instagram account on the way up.
“Almost finished,” he said in French as he neared the top.
A Victoria Police spokesman said he was arrested at the top of the building at 8.20am.
He was marshalled out of the building in handcuffs just after 9am.
As police ushered Mr Andol into the back of the police vehicle, a crowd of trades workers and onlookers cheered.
Residents, nearby workers and bystanders had mixed emotions.
Some shook their heads, calling the man an “idiot” for attempting a feat so dangerous.
The pair faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday night assisted by a French interpreter.
The court heard Mr Andolfo’s 12-month tourist working visa was due to expire on Wednesday.
They were both remanded.
If found guilty, the charges against Mr Andolfo hold a maximum jail sentence of five years.
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