Security guards making their rounds at the Eiffel Tower were surprised to find two American tourists who apparently slept off a night of drinking inside the iconic French landmark, multiple news outlets reported.
The inebriated men were roused by the guards, who discovered the slumbering Americans before the Paris landmark opened to the public on Monday morning, according to reports. The men had apparently been so drunk that they became trapped in a spot off-limits to the public between the tower’s second and third levels and couldn’t get out, multiple outlets reported.
The Eiffel Tower’s operator, Sociéte d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, also known as Sete, told multiple media outlets that it informed the Paris prosecutor’s office of the incident. Sete indicated to AFP that it intended to filed a complaint against the men, who posed no threat and were handed over to police.
The prosecutor’s office told reporters that the men, who had been drinking alcohol, had Sunday evening tickets for the Eiffel Tower but never left the monument, built in the late 1800s to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.
CNN reported that the prosecutor’s office said a fine for trespassing was dismissed as there was no apparent damage.
Neither Sete nor the prosecutor’s office returned messages seeking comment from USA TODAY on Wednesday.
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Other tourists disrespecting famous landmarks
The incident is the latest example of tourists misbehaving at famous landmarks around the world.
This week, a video taken of a tourist climbing across Rome’s Trevi Fountain to fill her water bottle went viral, sparking the internet’s outrage. Considered a late Baroque masterpiece, the historic site is one of Rome’s most revered symbols.
And in June, an English tourist was filmed carving a note into the Colosseum in Rome. The man, later identified as 27-year-old Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, apologized for his actions in a letter claiming that he was unaware of how ancient the 2,000-year-old amphitheater was when he defaced it.
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Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com.
