PITTSBURGH — A climber clapped in cuffs one day after posting a video of himself on top of one of Pittsburgh’s iconic skyscrapers.
After his release, he spoke exclusively with Channel 11.
“I wasn’t expecting it to blow up like it did,” Austin Seik told Channel 11.
Seik is a climber. He got hooked on it during COVID and has posted videos of himself atop a number of Pittsburgh landmarks.
He’d been planning his latest climb for two years.
Friday, he and a female went back to the building to retrieve a jacket they’d left.
“As I get out of my vehicle, the construction manager approached,” he said - adding that the manager informed him police were on their way.
Only Channel 11 was there as the pair was clapped in handcuffs and led to a police cruiser.
“I still got the little marks from the cuffs. I’m in handcuffs in the back of a cop cruiser on my way to the Allegheny County Jail,” he said.
They didn’t get all the way there. He says they cooperated with police and were let go.
Channel 11 asked him if the incident had made him rethink climbing.
“After everything that happened today, I’m not too sure about it,” he said. “It’s not worth the cuffs. It’s not worth the heartache to my friends, my family. If one slip happens, that’s it.”
“I believe I am done.”
The building’s owner told our Lauren Talotta that he plans on pressing charges.
Seik told me he has a follow-up with police in a couple of days, but doesn’t expect to serve any jail time.
He also said he wants to continue his video work, but legally.
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