Man Sits On Top Of Blast Furnace For More Than 21 Hours, Refuses To Come Down

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - Authorities say a man climbed to the top of a blast furnace and refused to come down, prompting evacuation of an arts and entertainment venue at the Pennsylvania site.

Venue operator ArtsQuest tweeted Saturday afternoon that the "emergency situation" that began Friday night was still going on. The SteelStacks campus remained closed and activities were either postponed or canceled.

The emergency situation that began last night at SteelStacks is ongoing. City of Bethlehem first responders are on site and in charge. The campus remains closed at this time. (1/2)

— ArtsQuest (@ArtsQuest) July 13, 2019

An outdoor concert had been scheduled but about 1,500 people were evacuated after the man climbed up the furnace shortly before 7 p.m. Friday and perched several hundred feet above the venue.

Police released a photo and asked the public's help in identifying the man, who balanced precariously on a single steel beam at Bethlehem Steel Corp.

The Bethlehem Police Department requests people stay away from the area of @SteelStacks so Emergency personnel can work to safely resolve the situation. There are no updates or additional information to provide at this time.

— Bethlehem Police (@BethlehemPolice) July 13, 2019

Police officers climbed to a platform below the man and were talking to him.

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