How To Get Out Of A Stuck Elevator

How about when they shut off the elevator and you’re still in it?

I have … back during the terrorist attack during 9-11. No one realized I was still in the elevator and they shut if off. Instead of moving down the shaft it floated down to the first floor. It was truly a unique experience. Fortunately, it happened to be a glass elevator and it was still daylight.

If you are ever “stuck” in an elevator, here are some things to do:

1. Don’t panic. It’s not likely to crash down the shaft … even if all the support and drive cables snapped all at once, modern elevators have built in breaks and fail safes.

2. The next step is to push the buttons one at a time to see if there is any response.

Try the “Door Open” button even if you are between floors. If none of the buttons work and the elevator won’t move, the first thing you should do is grab the elevator phone, and dial 911. It’s usually behind a small door, but sometimes it’s out in the open.

3. If there is no phone, try the “Alarm” or “Emergency” button. These buttons usually sound a ringing bell while you hold the button down … which you can hear from within the elevator. Keep pressing and releasing the button repeatedly for a few seconds per push.

4. Another alternative that often works is using a cell phone. Once again, just dial 911, and tell them where you are.

5. If you can see light between the doors, you are near a floor. You can try shouting for help. Sometimes you can put your palms on the doors (one hand one each door) with your fingers in the crack between them and pull the doors apart. If there is still power to the building, this can trigger the “door blocked” mode and make the doors open themselves. If they do open, wedge them open with something … put your foot in the way, stick an umbrella or cane between them, … whatever you can find.

6. If the door is open and you have it blocked from closing, you can step out or climb out if there is enough room. However, when you do this … (1) make sure the door is blocked from closing, and (2) get through the opening quickly. You don’t want to be in the way if the elevator starts to move again.

7. If you have called for help and gotten no response, or no one has shown up for awhile, you can try banging on the doors and walls to get someone’s attention. Do what ever you can to get attention before the building closes for the evening.

Finally, if you are stuck in the elevator, can’t get it open, and no one is coming for awhile, you may have to stay there overnight.

Try not to panic or get upset. Just get as comfortable as you can and get some sleep. Elevators are not airtight, so you should have plenty of oxygen to breathe. In fact, assuming you don’t have severe claustrophobia (in which case, you probably wouldn’t have gotten into the elevator), the worst problem you are likely to have is when you need the restroom.

As in all “survival” scenarios, the best survival technique is to not get in a survival scenario.

You could start taking the stairs … at least every time you need to go down a few floors … this way you can get some exercise, go at your own pace, avoid waiting for the elevator and the awkwardness of standing in a small, closed room with strangers, and you won’t get stuck in the elevator. If you can’t handle that much physical exertion, try going up or down one floor at first. Then gradually add more floors as you become more accustomed to it.