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Fire Department: 13 uncooperative, lying people rescued from East Boston elevator
By adamg on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 9:39am
The Boston Fire Department reports firefighters had to climb eight feet down a ladder in an elevator shaft around 4 a.m. to help free 13 people stuck in an elevator at 500 Border St.
A big problem with this rescue was the 13 people trapped were loud, boisterous and uncooperative. Early in the incident, a person called the fire dispatch and claimed there was a pregnant woman about to give birth on the elevator. This dangerous claim was an attempt to get rescued quicker. It was only when firefighters reached the elevator roof that this proved false.
The department says the elevator got stuck between the third and fifth floors - the building has no door on the fourth floor. Firefighters on the fifth floor lowered a ladder and one firefighter in a safety harness climbed down and opened the roof hatch. Firefighters then lowered another ladder into the elevator and had the trapped people climb up to the fifth floor on that.
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Comments
Why is there no elevator door
Why is there no elevator door on the fourth floor?
Must be one of those charming Boston traditions
Firefighters try to retrieve elevator from Twilight Zone at City Hall.
missing 4th
The brand new Shapiro building at BWH doesn't have an elevator door on the 4th floor either.
That's crazy!
There must've been some sort of oversight when the new Shapiro building at BWH was built!
Not atypical
"Blind shafts" are not unusual. Know those tall buildings with multiple elevator banks? There is probably not a door for the floors that any given elevator doesn't stop at.
I spent three hours stuck in such a blind shaft elevator. Had to do the whole ladder and safety-harness things. The building was big enough to have its own elevator staff however, so the fire department wasn't involved. Never occurred to me to claim a pregnant woman, but one of the other passengers was claustrophobic, and I'm really glad they got us out when they did!
City Hall aside
My concern is that in new construction and recent renovations, maybe to accomodate lofts or two story living rooms, there should at least be an entrance to an elevator built so access can be had in a situation like this.
It is dangerous to fabricate stories like that.
Fabricating stories like that sets a dangerous, irresponsible precedent, as it could get the fabricator in big trouble, and the firemen who respond to it subjected to unnecessary amounts of stress, but at least it got the people out of the elevator more quickly.
The fact that no portal entry existed on the 4th floor to the elevator in the new Shapiro building of BWH is rather scary. What were the people who planned/constructed the building thinking??
Hi Miki!
Hi Miki!
Howdy, SwirlyGrrl!
:)
13 x 200 = way too many
13 x 200 = way too many people in one car. 13 jerks in an elevator at 4 AM, I think alcohol was a factor.
That could very well be, pu.
Thirteen people in one elevator car, especially at 4 a. m. Alcohol probably was a factor, and a significant one at that. Nothing like excessive drinking to amplify and fuel pre-existing panic, which was clearly running high, to begin with.
As stupid as it is to a) have
As stupid as it is to a) have that many people in an elevator, and b) lie about a pregnant woman, I can see why they did (b). I was stuck in a TINY elevator in my Paris hotel some years back with one other person - there was literally no way to even trade spaces where we were standing, that's how small it was. I'm pretty claustrophobic, and I can safely say that if I hadn't been intoxicated at the time (had one too many carafes of wine at dinner...) I would have been having a huge, huge panic attack and done or said anything to get the hell out of there as fast as possible.
Lying and putting the
Lying and putting the rescuers at risk to get you out quicker? Lame. The BFD will always be there to help no matter how scummy you are; keep that in mind.