A major tourist attraction faced an evacuation as a man, claiming to possess a bomb, scaled a Ferris wheel in a harrowing incident.

On Monday, law enforcement swiftly cleared the Santa Monica Pier in California and issued advisories for people to steer clear of the area.

Eyewitnesses reported the suspect’s assertion about possessing a bomb. “The SMPD Crisis Negotiations Team is on site dealing with a person in crisis,” the police communicated via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Images circulated on social media depicted the man, attired in a t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and carrying what seemed to be a backpack, clinging to the metal framework of the amusement ride, the US Sun reported.

The motivations behind the man’s ascent of the Ferris wheel remain unclear.

Police dispatched a team of negotiators to engage with him; simultaneously, media helicopters were instructed to maintain higher altitudes to facilitate clear communication with the individual.

Written by staff