BRIEF: Woman rescued from 11th-floor balcony, arrested

Oct 11, 2008 (The Sun News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- ZZGFT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- A 20-year-old woman was plucked from the railing of her 11th floor balcony by police and firefighters early Saturday morning and arrested on an intoxication charge, authorities said.

Chelsey Hilbourn went out on the balcony of her room at the Ocean Park Motel on South Ocean Boulevard for a smoke around 6 a.m., and then began to climb over the balcony railing, two of her friends told police. They rushed outside to grab her, but by then, she was already over, the friends said in a Myrtle Beach Police report.

When police arrived, Hilbourn was holding onto her own railing with her hands, her friends had her by the arms, and her feet were on the railing of the balcony below, the report states. Firefighters and paramedics helped secure Hilbourn in a harness and lower her to safety on the lower balcony, the report states.

Hilbourn's friends said they believed she was only seeking attention, noting that she repeatedly urged them to let go of her so that she could climb back up herself.

She was arrested on a charge of public intoxication, police said.

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