Yonathan Souid in a coffee shop on Nov. 18, 2014. The 23-year-old French tourist was arrested after climbing on the Brooklyn Bridge on Nov. 16, 2014. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Sybile Penhirin

BROOKLYN — The French tourist who was arrested after climbing on the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday said he regrets his actions and got carried away by his love for photography.

“My goal was never to be famous or anything like that," said 23-year-old Yonathan Souid, who spoke exclusively to DNAinfo New York on Tuesday. "I just wanted to take great photos and I got carried away by my passion. I take full responsibility for what happened, and of course I regret what I’ve done.”

Souid was arrested on Sunday after he climbed on the bridge just hours before he was meant to catch a flight back to France. He said he had no idea about the heightened alert on the bridge after two white flags were planted on its towers and a Russian tourist was caught climbing on it over the summer.

“I realized something was wrong when I saw a small cop car waiting for me as I was coming down on the beam,” he said in French, adding he didn’t see any signs forbidding climbing on the bridge.

Souid, who's from La Rochelle and studies in Marseille, said he had dreamed about visiting New York since he was 18, and arrived in the city for the first time on Nov. 6 for a Chabad trip meant to gather thousands of Jewish students from all over the world to celebrate Shabbat on Nov. 7.

He then spent the rest of his time visiting tourist spots such as the High Line and the MoMA, and he went to see "Aladdin" on Broadway.

“As soon as I arrived [in New York] I was amazed by this city. I think people are very welcoming,” he said.

For his 10th and final day in the city, Souid woke up around 5 a.m. to take a photo of the sun rising in DUMBO. Around noon, he decided to take a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge to shoot a few souvenir photos of the Manhattan skyline before going home.

He had just stepped onto the bridge when he noticed a nearby beam and thought it would be a great angle to take a few shots while standing on it. Souid remembered stepping on the girder with one foot first to test if it was strong enough for him.

“And then I hold on to the two cables, one hand on each cable, my camera hanging around my neck and I started walking on it," he said. "I was very focused.”

Souid first stopped about 13 feet on the girder and snapped about 20 photos of the traffic below, he said. He then climbed a little bit more and took a photo of his hands holding the cables with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

It’s only as he was about to step off the beam that Souid realized a police officer was waiting for him.

“I was so focused on my photos, I didn’t realize what was going on below me, around me,” he said.

The officer immediately took Souid’s passport and camera, Souid said. He still hasn’t gotten his camera back and hopes police haven't erased his photos.

Souid first told the police officer he worked for a French news website as he had done a few gigs for one a few years ago and thought that could keep him out of trouble. But with no press credentials on him, the police officer called some backup.

“He told me: you are in trouble, I’m sorry man but you will not take your plane, you’re going to jail,” Souid said. “But at this point I still thought I was going to be able to catch my flight [which was at 6:20 p.m. on Sunday night]. I had no idea it was going to be such a big thing.”

What followed was a night in a small jail cell with other men, an ordeal that Souid, who had never been arrested before, called “a terrible experience.”

Souid was charged with reckless endangerment, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct. An anonymous donor paid for his $7,500 cash bond.

With the help of a few friends, Souid launched an online fundraising campaign to pay the donor back. As of Tuesday afternoon, he had gathered more than $8,000.

“I still can’t really realized what happened,” Souid said.

On Tuesday morning, he was looking for a place to stay for the next few weeks.

“I have friends of friends that are helping me find a place,” he said.

While he awaits his Dec. 9 court date, Souid said he was going to continue his coursework and prepare for his exams that are set to take place in January.

“I’ve informed my professors about the situation and my friends are going to scan me their notes from our classes,” he said.

Souid also plans on continuing to visit spots around the city during his free time but he insisted he wants to keep a low-profile.

“I’ll definitely be discreet," he said, "and won’t do anything like this again.”