Four Workers Rescued From Blind Elevator Shaft in Yonkers

Yonkers Fire Department (YFD) personnel successfully rescued four workers from a blind elevator shaft at the construction site of a new 27-story building in Yonkers, NY, on July 16, outlets including Westchester Journal News report. Brock Glenn of G-Tech Elevator Services attempted to maneuver the elevator but determined it was immobile. The YFD then devised a system of ladders and ropes to remove the four workers who were approximately 20 ft below the fifth floor from the 35-ft shaft. Emergency Medical Services found that all were good condition. The elevator was last inspected on May 20, according to a Yonkers spokesperson, and deemed authorized for construction use. The source then shared facts and tips from the American National Standards Institute and the NYC Buildings Department about elevator entrapments, including that the odds of getting stuck in an elevator are one in 100,000 and that three steps should be taken in the event of an entrapment: Ring the alarm, relax and wait for help to arrive without prying open the doors.