David Muir Climbs 300-Foot Statue of Liberty Torch as ABC Launches 24-Hour America 250 Broadcast
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Jul 4
David Muir Climbs 300-Foot Statue of Liberty Torch as ABC Launches 24-Hour America 250 Broadcast
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Jul 4
Summary
Standing more than 300 feet above New York Harbor, David Muir climbed through the Statue of Liberty's right arm to the torch in a rare-access segment opening ABC News' America 250 coverage.
The climb anchors Disney's 24-hour, multi-platform July 4 special, which began at 10 p.m. ET on July 3 and spans ABC, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, National Geographic, FX, Freeform and ABC News Live.
At Liberty Island, Muir tied the torch to the immigrant experience: the statue welcomed more than 12 million arrivals during Ellis Island's 1892-1954 years, and the National Park Service says about 40% of Americans can trace ancestry there.
The report also highlighted the monument's engineering and upkeep, from its wind-designed sway to the 1980s restoration that replaced the original torch, while underscoring its continued draw of about 3.8 million visitors a year.