North Vancouver’s troubles with trespassing construction site climbers continued last week after two teens were caught at the top of the 60 metre crane. According to Officer Richard de Jong, at 12:30 a.m. Sept. 18, officers heard voices at a construction site at 13th Street and Lonsdale Avenue – right next to the North Vancouver RCMP station.
It is the construction site of CentreView, a mix of residential, retail and office spaces. The towers of CentreView, will be among the tallest in North Vancouver when completed. Officers discovered two 18-year-olds had climbed one of the site’s towers and directed them to stay put until fire crews could safely rescue them. Following a safe rescue, both men, North Vancouver residents, were arrested and charged with mischief and break and enter. De Jong said it is the second time the crane was climbed by unauthorized people this summer.
"What could be fueling it is social media," he said. "Whether it’s a bravado or a claim to fame, that’s very short sighted in light of it being illegal and very dangerous."
De Jong explained that crane operators rely on the integrity of their equipment to keep themselves safe as well as crews on the ground. Those climbing on equipment could not only harm themselves, but put workers who use or work around the equipment the next day in danger.
"This type of act is reserved for the trained professionals," he said.
Earlier this year RCMP and North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service were called to a site at 851 Queens Road West shortly before midnight after two men were seen climbing up a crane.
Police said the men had consumed alcohol and were filming their actions with a camera. The two men were arrested and face charges of trespassing, break and enter, and mischief. Police were called back to the same site at 2:30 a.m. after it was reported four intoxicated men climbed the same crane. Men from both incidents are in their early 20s. Officers recalled another recent incident which involved crane operators sneaking back onto a site with several women following some drinking. The incidents in North Vancouver come after several similar occurrences in the Metro Vancouver area. A pair of masked men recently filmed themselves climbing the 63-storey Trump tower in downtown Vancouver.
Footage of the climb was posted on YouTube last month and has been viewed tens of thousands of times. The developers said it isn’t the first time thrill seekers have snuck onto the site. Joseph McGuire, 21, claimed he is one of the climbers in the video and has publicly apologized for the incident. He told reporters he does it for the adrenaline rush and to face his fears. He plans to continue climbing and allegedly climbed an under-construction tower in Calgary this month, sparking outrage from contractor EllisDon.
The RCMP says that every summer, there are more of these types of calls and asked anyone who lives near construction sites to notify officers if they see any suspicious activity, especially after hours.
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