PARACHUTIST gets caught on torch of Statue of Liberty in NY harbor; rescued, then arrested

NEW YORK (AP) _ A man using a parachute to glide above New York Harbor became snagged on the Statue of Liberty's upraised torch Thursday morning and had to be rescued. <br><br>The man, who could be

Thursday, August 23rd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ A man using a parachute to glide above New York Harbor became snagged on the Statue of Liberty's upraised torch Thursday morning and had to be rescued.

The man, who could be seen hanging on the outstretched arm of the statue, was pulled to safety by New York City Police officers on a deck directly below the torch just after 10 a.m. The bright orange parachute had been draped over the torch for about half an hour.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was arrested by U.S. Parks Service Police. The circumstances of the incident were not immediately clear.

A person answering the phone at the Statue of Liberty park would not comment on the incident. Messages left for spokespeople for the parks department were not immediately returned.

The statue, dedicated in 1886, is 151 feet high from base to torch. From the bottom of its pedestal to the torch is more than 300 feet.