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PICS | Daredevil briefly detained after free climbing Spain skyscraper

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British skyscraper climber George King free-climbs the Melia Barcelona Sky hotel in Barcelona on 2 April 2021.
British skyscraper climber George King free-climbs the Melia Barcelona Sky hotel in Barcelona on 2 April 2021.
Pau Barrena / AFP

A 21-year-old British man was briefly detained on Friday after freeclimbing one of the tallest skyscrapers in Spain.

George King, 21, nicknamed "Daredevil" after a superhero character, scaled with his bare hands and without any ropes the 120-metre glass-walled Melia Barcelona Sky hotel located in the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona.

Crowds watched as King, who also freeclimbed The Shard in London, made his way to the top of the building with no safety gear.

British skyscraper climber George
British skyscraper climber George King observes the view after free-climbing the Melia Barcelona Sky hotel in Barcelona.
British skyscraper climber George King
British skyscraper climber George King free-climbs the Melia Barcelona Sky hotel.
British skyscraper climber George King free-climbs
George King free-climbs the Melia Barcelona Sky hotel in Barcelona on 2 April 2021.

He was detained on coming down for about 20 minutes by police and was not fined, his agent Bryan Yeubrey told AFP.

King was jailed for three months at the end of 2019 after climbing without permission the famed Shard building which measures 310 metres in height, and vowed at the time to repeat the feat.

His jail sentence was criticised by supporters, including renowned solo freeclimber Alain Robert - dubbed the "French Spiderman" for his own spectacular ascents.


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