Teens climb to top of S.F. bridge

Golden Gate officials investigate the pair, who did somersaults and hung from cables.

Two Wisconsin natives are under investigation after they filmed themselves scaling San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, performing somersaults and hanging from cables over cars below.

The heart-stopping video posted last week by Peter Teatime shows him and Tommy Rector as they climbed vertical steel suspension ropes until they reached a flat surface on the bridge’s steel beams.

One climber appeared to be holding on to the cables as they sprinted toward one of the bridge’s main towers. The climber then stepped one foot off the beam and held on to the cable with one hand as his body hung over the bridge. The video follows the friends as they scaled a series of stairs, performed somersaults and back flips and hung from the bridge.

“Guys, we’ve just made it to the top,” one teen says in the video. “This is incredible, to be honest. This is so beautiful up here.”

More than a month after the death-defying stunt was performed, Golden Gate officials say they have launched an investigation and are planning to beef up security on the bridge.

Teatime, 18, told The Times he and Rector were visiting friends in San Francisco for spring break in early April when they decided on “just a whim” to climb the bridge.

It was about 3 a.m. when the pair began scaling the ropes and steel beam, Teatime said. They were on the bridge for about an hour.

Once they reached the top of the bridge, Teatime said, they decided to perform somersaults and hang from it to add another level of thrill to the climb. Teatime said they were mindful of the cars below and the risk they posed to those vehicles.

Before performing a stunt, he said, they made sure the road was clear.

“We weren’t bothering anybody,” Teatime said.

But Golden Gate Bridge officials said the climbers could have posed a danger to motorists if one of them had fallen.

“Their behavior could have harmed motorists below,” said Capt. Lisa Locati, who leads the Golden Gate Bridge patrol.

Officials became aware of the stunt a week and a half ago when they saw the video online, authorities said, adding that they didn’t know how the climbers got access to the bridge without triggering any alarms.

“The Golden Gate Bridge is not an amusement park ride,” said Denis Mulligan, general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. “It is vital public infrastructure and it’s a symbol of our community.”

The climbers didn’t damage the bridge, he said.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the stunt and the climbers could face misdemeanor trespassing charges and fines, Mulligan said.

Teatime said he respects law enforcement officials and wasn’t trying to stir up any trouble. He said he is willing to work with authorities to show them how he got access to the bridge, so they can improve security.

“I would definitely discourage anybody from climbing the Golden Gate Bridge,” Teatime said.