"Then I saw the guy climbing to the top of the structure. He was going nuts yelling, screaming and banging his head against the post.
"It was very scary we thought he was going to jump, but he climbed up to the top and then he stayed there."
Roads around the city hall were closed and a large crowd gathered as emergency services arrived at the scene.
Deputy Fire Officer Louis Jones said it had been a "difficult rescue" and that when the crews arrived they had observed the man at "the top of the wheel holding on".
Emergency services outside the City Hall
"We deployed our specialist rescue team who are trained to climb structures such as this," he said.
"They climbed up and made contact with the individual.
"Thankfully, it went well, but things like this are so dangerous, they could equally have a tragic ending."
A number of people were trapped inside some of the pods on the wheel during the safety operation.
In May, councillors at Belfast City Hall voted to keep the big wheel on site for two more years.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Bookmark with:
What are these?