8 Rescued From Stuck Elevator In Downtown Atlanta

Firefighters rescued eight people from an elevator stuck in a blind shaft on the 27^th floor of the Westin Peachtree Hotel in downtown Atlanta on January 2, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is among outlets to report. The incident happened at around 5:45 p.m., and the last person was extricated at approximately 9:30 p.m. No one was injured. After getting two 911 calls from inside the elevator, responders began their search on the 14^th floor based on a caller’s description. Failing to find the stalled elevator, firefighters then traveled to the 73^rd-floor control room to shut off the power and reset the elevator in hopes that it would return to normal function. When that failed, an elevator technician arrived to troubleshoot the problem, apparently determining the stalled elevator’s location. A crew then rode a second elevator down to the stalled one, removed its hatch and had the occupants climb a ladder up and out to the roof of the working car, making four trips in approximately 45 min. All eight people were able to safely step off the roof of the working elevator at the 45^th floor. The hotel manager said the safety of guests is of utmost importance, and that the incident is under investigation.