A man who climbed a crane on a downtown construction site has come down safely.
The man, described by police as in distress, climbed down via a narrow stairway just after 8:30 p.m., about three hours after he was spotted at the top of the crane, which is about 40 metres tall.
Victoria police closed Pandora Avenue between Douglas and Blanshard streets as officers negotiated with the man.
Officers climbed to the top of an adjacent structure to try to communicate with the man.
The man was taken into custody, police said. He was to be taken to hospital for a mental-health assessment.
The distressed person is down and in custody. Pandora will open as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience. #yyjtraffic
— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) October 5, 2016
Time & patience are the best tools in these circumstances. Thank you for yours as we work to try to resolve this safely. #yyjtraffic
— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) October 5, 2016
Pandora Ave is closed between Douglas and Blanshard as we respond to a person in distress. #yyjtraffic will be disrupted.
— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) October 5, 2016