A reckless urban climbing stunt has drawn sharp criticism from senior New South Wales police in Australia, after an unidentified daredevil shared footage of his unsanctioned, safety gear-free ascent of a 300-metre crane at Sydney’s tallest under-construction building site. The incident unfolded at the 55 Pitt Street development in the heart of Sydney’s central business district, where the man climbed undetected past on-site security to reach the top of the towering construction crane.
In the publicly released footage, the climber can be seen scaling the structure from underneath the construction site, before pausing at the summit to look out over the entire Sydney cityscape. In an interview with local broadcaster 9News, the daredevil described the unique experience of reaching the top, saying the feeling of being alone thousands of metres above the rest of the city cannot be put into words.
The climber also made the surprising revelation that this stunt was not his first visit to the site. He claims to have successfully completed the same unauthorised climb four times previously. Pushing back against widespread criticism of his actions, the daredevil argued that labeling his climb as “absolutely stupid” was unfair. He drew a comparison to everyday road travel, noting that far more people are injured or killed in car crashes than in construction crane climbing accidents, implying his activity was no more inherently reckless than common activities that people accept as routine.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has publicly condemned the stunt in the strongest terms, calling the climber’s reckless choice “absolutely stupid”. Lanyon emphasized that no social media clout or personal achievement is worth putting one’s own life at extreme mortal risk. As of the latest update, NSW Police confirm they are aware of the viral footage circulating online, but confirm no official reports about the climber’s unauthorized access to the site have been lodged with authorities. It remains unclear whether investigators will actively pursue charges against the daredevil, or whether site management will implement additional security measures to prevent future incursions.