Driven by a desire to feel free, four would-be parachutists instead found themselves locked up early Sunday.

        Security guards caught a man from Switzerland, another from Butler County and two Indiana men allegedly preparing to jump from the roof of the Millennium Hotel downtown just after midnight, Cincinnati Police say.

        The four, equipped with parachutes, are Building Antenna Span Earth (BASE) jumpers, who leap from high points such as skyscrapers, TV and radio towers, bridges, cliffs and mountains.

        BASE jumping has claimed a number of lives, but enthusiasts argue they are practicing a misunderstood “extreme sport” that is generally safe — and it shouldn't subject them to arrest for offenses such as trespassing.

        Three of the arrestees either declined comment or couldn't be reached Sunday.

        But Joseph C. Weber, a 34-year-old Indianapolis dentist internationally known for BASE jumping, disputes allegations in the police reports.

        Two of the men — Jerome Jeanneret, 34, of Verdon, Switzerland, and Justin McClellan, 24, of Hamilton — actually were unable to find the roof of the 34-story building, Dr. Weber said, despite reports saying they had “obtained access to a restricted area of the Millennium Hotel (roof).”

        Also, Dr. Weber said he and another Indianapolis-area man, Bruce D. Kramer, 33, merely walked through an open door to reach the rooftop. Dr. Weber said he doesn't think that should be considered trespassing, so he intends to fight the charge.

        Mr. Jeanneret “was blown away that we were being arrested for this in a free country,” because BASE jumpers don't get arrested in Switzerland, Dr. Weber said.

        Dr. Weber also said he and Mr. Kramer hadn't actually decided whether to jump from the roof.

        “We just went up to look at it,” Dr. Weber said. “We didn't even know if it was jumpable.”

        The men, who were released after they posted bond, are scheduled to appear in Hamilton County Municipal Court today on charges of criminal trespassing. That fourth-degree misdemeanor carries a one-month jail term and a maximum fine of $250 upon conviction.

        Hotel security officer EulisiaEvans said the men triggered an alarm, alerting security guards, when they went through a door that leads to the roof.

        Ms. Evans said she knew of no previous arrests of other BASE jumpers at the hotel.

        About 350 feet tall, the Millennium Hotel is significantly shorter than the city's tallest building, Carew Tower. That 49-story building is 570 feet tall and has attracted a number of BASE jumpers in the past, including Tim Lee Werling II, who was arrested after jumping from it three times.

        Known as “Skypunk,” Mr. Werling, 30, formerly of Norwood, was a national BASE jumping champion. He died in a parachuting accident in May after jumping from a 1,684-foot TV tower in Florida.

        Dr. Weber, likewise, is well-known among BASE jumpers. He was among 15 people who leaped Dec. 31, 2000, from Malaysia's twin Petronas Towers, each 1,483 feet tall, breaking

        records for the tallest BASE jump with the most simultaneous jumpers.

        Dr. Weber said most people think that BASE jumpers are “crazy” and that their activity puts others at risk. “I think it was more dangerous for us to drive to Cincinnati than it was for us to BASE jump,” he said.

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