Mount Rushmore climber plunges 100 feet off George Washington’s head, officials say
It’s illegal to climb on George Washington’s head — but that didn’t stop someone from trying, court documents show.
A climber from Michigan made it to the top of Mount Rushmore and onto George Washington’s head on Aug. 19, according to federal court documents filed Aug. 20. He then came tumbling down the cliff and crashed about 100 feet, according to officials.
South Dakota law enforcement officials saw the climber, later identified as Ayman Doppke, on top of Mount Rushmore and watched him fall to the base of the monument, court documents said.
Doppke told officials he saw and disregarded the signs that said it was a “federally closed area” and climbed around the razor wire to get to the top of the monument, the documents said.
“Doppke then stated that he figured rangers were going to try and catch him after everyone saw him on top so he attempted to get down the steepest and most dangerous route in order to get out of there quicker, which ultimately led to him falling some 25 feet before tumbling down a loose gravel slope,” officials said in the court documents.
The climber was arrested and pleaded guilty, according to court documents. He will be fined $1,500 and a $30 processing fee.
