The dramatic display, which unfolded above Republic Square on Guadalupe Street, stunned onlookers and quickly went viral online.

Witnesses described the scene as both mesmerising and terrifying. “It was crazy, we were all very scared, just staring up there the whole time, worried he was going to fall,” said Adrienne Tenney, who works at a nearby coffee shop. “But luckily, he didn’t, and I guess he got away.”

The individual, who appeared to be holding a selfie stick, made several wide swings from the crane arm, hundreds of feet above ground, before climbing down a ladder attached to the crane and entering the building. Another person was reportedly seen on the crane, possibly acting as a lookout, though neither has been identified.

“It was one heck of a rope swing,” said Sydney Lee, another eyewitness. “I want to know how he got up there. I mean, did you see the selfie pole too? I want to see his perspective.”

The building, known as The Republic, is still under construction and rises approximately 710 feet into the Austin skyline. While the average tower crane stands around 300 feet tall, it can reach up to 1,000 feet depending on the project, making the stunt all the more extreme.

Officers from the Austin Police Department responded around 10 a.m. to a welfare check in the 400 block of Guadalupe Street after a caller reported someone hanging from a crane. Authorities quickly evacuated the area out of caution. Police confirmed that the individual rappelled down from the crane using its internal ladder, and reportedly made it into the building and eventually to the ground.

As of now, the Austin Police Department says the incident remains under investigation. No arrests have been made, and it is unclear whether the act was a spontaneous thrill-seeking stunt or a pre-planned effort for social media fame. The presence of the selfie stick has fueled speculation that the daredevil was filming the act for online content.

Videos of the incident, some captured from neighbouring buildings, including one by witness Jack Zimmerman, have circulated widely across social media, drawing comparisons to a real-life action movie and sparking a wave of Easter-themed jokes. “He is risen,” one Reddit user quipped, while another joked, “Any plans for Easter? Nah, I’m just gonna hang out.”

This isn’t the first crane-related stunt in downtown Austin. In 2023, a man climbed a crane near Seventh and Guadalupe, prompting a police response. The year before that, another individual was arrested for trespassing after scaling a crane along West Fourth Street.