A 98-year-old statue of a Viking explorer in Philadelphia was vandalized and dumped into the Schuylkill River, WPVI reported.
Philadelphia police said the statue of Thorfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic explorer thought to have visited North America as early as 1004 A.D., was torn off its pedestal, the television station reported.
"It's unfortunate that people do these thoughtless things for whatever purpose," Public Art Director Margot Berg told WPVI. "We just wish they wouldn't do this kind of stuff."
Police said they believe vandals toppled the statue over with a rope and then dragged it down a hill before throwing it into the river.
The statue has resided in Philadelphia since 1920, when the Fairmount Park Art Association commissioned an Icelandic artist to create it, the Courier Post of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, reported.
A year ago this week, the face of the statue was spray-painted red and anti-Nazi language was written on it, WPVI reported.
The incident comes several days before the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game.
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