A BASE jumper took a rare opportunity today to get a jump start on the proposed re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Just a few weeks before the July 4 reopening of the statue’s crown, a man among a small group of tourists slipped into the statue unnoticed, then climbed out one of the windows in the crown and parachuted from the perch nearly 300 feet up.

According to National Park Service employees at the site, the man brought his chute inside a large backpack. While the group was being led along the base of the statue, the man dropped out of the group, and quickly gained entrance into the statue’s interior. By the time anyone noticed his absence, the parachutist was seen crawling out of the crown, then quickly jumped, opening his parachute after a couple seconds of freefall. The interior of the Statue of Liberty has been closed to visitors since the September 11 terrorist attacks nearly eight years ago.

After landing, the BASE jumper was taken into custody by park personnel. In a brief interview with the press later that day, Ryan Argyle, a National Park Service spokesman, gave a statement:

“The jumper, identified as one Kevin King, was among the morning tour group earlier today, when he left the group and entered the statue,” said the spokesman. “He gained access to the statute through a small service door, located in the right big toe of Miss Liberty. The padlock on the service door had apparently been left unlocked by a groundskeeper,” added Argyle. “Apparently, Mr. King is in rather good shape, as it only took him a few minutes to climb the 400-plus stairs to the crown, after which time he exited the statue, deploying his parachute.”

King was being held by federal authorities on charges of trespassing, hooliganism, and being a public nuisance.