6 Tourists Rescued After Hours Trapped In Hancock Tower Elevator In Chicago: 'It Was A Pretty Precar

[appalachiablue]

Source: Chicago Tribune

By Hannah Leone, 1 hr. ago.

CHICAGO — It had been about an hour since the elevator suddenly stopped at the former John Hancock Center, two of its cables broken and six people trapped inside. All they knew was they were somewhere between the 95th floor and the lobby of Chicago's fourth-tallest building.

Another hour or more would pass before firefighters knocked through a brick wall on the 11th floor and helped the tourists to safety early Friday. Fire officials reported no injuries among the group, which included a pregnant woman.

Crews were called to the building on North Michigan Avenue around 12:30 a.m. and were told a group of people had left the Signature Room but their express elevator had quit running before reaching the ground floor. The elevator was in a "blind shaft" with no openings firefighters could use to reach it.

"We didn't know what their location was at that time," Battalion Chief Patrick Maloney told reporters. They finally located the elevator near the 11th floor. At least two of its cables were broken but safety systems were in place. "It's not in an unsafe situation," Maloney explained. Still, "it was a pretty precarious situation" to get the people out, he said. "We had to breach a brick wall." -MORE...


Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/6-tourists-rescued-after-hours-trapped-in-hancock-tower-elevator-in-chicago-it-was-a-pretty-precarious-situation/ar-BBPMg3J?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

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[zanana1]

1. That's my worst phobia.

I always hold my breath in an elevator until the doors open. (Just a bit claustrophobic).

[appalachiablue]

2. Until more recently I never thought about this much. Reading

a lot of news will do it too. A scary scene, glad no one was alone and they got out in a few hrs. Whew!

[busterbrown]

4. i lived in N.Y.C. for 10 yrs.

and got in an elevator just once. I would walk 28 flights before getting into an elevator especially alone.
I'm now in L.A. for 30 yrs and never been in an elevator as well... Yea I got it bad...but it never hurt my quality of life,,

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. That's me!

[Sneederbunk]

3. Better trapped than dropped.

[TruckFump]

6. I have been there.

My late husband grew up in Chicago and a friend of his from law school is in that buiding. Scary thought about being trapped -- worse would be if the elevator did not engage its brakes!

[Foolacious]

7. The building personnel weren't much help

According to the article, the building personnel didn't call 911, didn't make special provision for the waiting friends, and in the aftermath told the victims and the firefighters who rescued them to get off the property before doing a TV interview. Sounds like building management has some hospitality training to attend to.

[appalachiablue]

9. Caught that, and agree they need attitude & practice changes.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Actual elevator fails, meaning they don't engage the brakes

and plunge a long distance, are incredibly rare. If you ever ride in a car you are at far greater risk of being in an accident than in an elevator crash.

That said, I have a small fear of an elevator stopping between floors and not being able to get out. I am not at all claustrophobic, but the concern is that I've gotten on to go to the ladies room on another floor and have gotten stuck.

So to the person who willingly walks 28 flights of stairs rather than get on an elevator, I admire your fitness, but if you take public transportation you are taking worse chances than if you're taking an elevator.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

10. I'm old

and worry that my bladder will betray that fact should I be stuck like that for a few hours.........

[mahina]

12. I was thinking when reading the article that I need to remember to visit the lady's before I get in

[NBachers]

11. The building staff sounds like a bunch of shithead jerks.

[backtoblue]

13. Scary.

I got stuck between floors at 2am one night on a hospital service elevator...with another mortician and a deceased person.

Of course no one answered the panic phone button.

Naturally, I panicked and farted (loudly) while all the oxygen was seemingly sucked out.

I was only 24 or so and was working on my apprenticeship. I despise elevators still.