How did drone helicopter get stuck up 100 foot statue of Lady Justice and who's going to get it down?

Terry Cline was taking aerial footage in Marion, Ohio with the drone when a breeze lodged the $1500 flying camera into the rooftop statue

The scales did not tip in favor of a man who was taking aerial video footage using a drone helicopter and lost his equipment to a rooftop statue of Lady Justice.

The $1500 camera ‘copped a feel of Lady Justice’s right breast’ said owner Terry Cline, before it found surer footing on the hilt of her sword.

Cline, a freelance video producer, was taking unsolicited promotional footage for the city of Marion, Ohio April 27 when the flying camera was caught in some wind.

Stuck: Video producer Terry Cline got his flying helicopter camera drone stuck in a rooftop statue in Marion, Ohio last week

It landed in one of the highest possible places, 100 feet up on the statue atop the Marion County Courthouse.

Authorities were informed of the 7-pound, 9-inch remote–controlled drone the following Monday, at which point a small controversy erupted in the north-central Ohio town.

Days of grumbling about who was responsible for retrieving the device, how it could be done, and how much it would cost ensued.

‘It may sit up there for a long time because we are not spending county dollars,’ Commissioner Andy Appelfeller told the Marion Star . ‘We’d certainly like to have it down, without a doubt, but I don’t think it’s the public, their obligation to get it down.’

Funny: Cline, pictured, joked that the piece of equipment 'copped a feel' from Lady Liberty before lodging into the hilt of her sword

High: The statue sits atop the Marion County, Ohio Courthouse and looks out over downtown Marion

While Appelfeller feared for the public’s wallets, Commissioner Dan Russell feared for their safety.

'In a worst case scenario, now, it could fall clear off the roof and hit something.' he said.

And Commissioner Ken Stiverson was concerned about doing everything by the book and warned, ‘he needs to check with the prosecutor and our insurance company with his plan for retrieving his helicopter before he does anything.’

Even emergency workers threw their hands in the air.

‘I don’t know how to help him,' said fire chief Ralph Zwolle said. 'I wish I could. I would if I could, but it’s out of our reach.’

County commissioners said they certainly weren’t going to risk having someone lowered from a real helicopter to retrieve it, and the courthouse roof was too unstable for anyone to walk on it.

Unlucky: Cline said a breeze blew the 9-inch helicopter into the statue as he took unsolicited promotional footage

It would have to stay where it was, they said.

Cline even resorted to asking Sheriff Tim Bailey, a licensed pilot, if he would retrieve the helicopter and use the situation as a training exercise.

Bailey said no.

‘Let’s put this in perspective,’ Bailey said. ‘He ran a helicopter into county property. It’s no different than if someone hit the courthouse with their car. We took a report. We’re done.’

After a week of back-and-forth, the dust-up ended unceremoniously.

The helicopter was finally saved Saturday morning from the arms of Lady Justice by volunteer brothers Bart and Doug Hooper, who hung out a window with a long pole.

Fortunately for Cline, he was able to keep his sense of humor all along.

‘All things considered,’ he told the Marion Star, ‘this is pretty funny.’

Cline said he was fearful he'd lose the equipment so integral to his photography business, so he ordered a new drone before he knew the first would come down.

Now, he says, he has two.

Saved: After a week-long bureaucratic dust-up, brothers Bart and Doug Hooper simply leaned out a window with a pole to snag the chopper

Pricey: Cline's camera cost $1500 and, before he knew it could be saved he bought another. 'Now I have two,' he said. The similar device pictured costs closer to $700.



