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Anyone know anyone who died in an elevator fall?

Tenacious E

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Dec 4, 2001
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Almost just happened to me. My sense of time is distorted as it was a near death experience and I am still coming down from intense adrenaline/shock, but I free fell at least a second and maybe two. I thought I was going to die as I was about 13 or 14 floors up at that point. I was able to get off on the 7th floor and took another elevator down to the first floor to make sure they took that elevator out of commission IMMEDIATELY, and the front desk said they were working on that elevator. I said WHAT??? They didn't put an elevator out of commission that they were working on???? Wow. I was free falling, and I was like f*ck, this is how I'm going to go out? Damn. Never take your next breath for granted.
 
Exceeded weight limit?
So I just learned that after my free fall and yelling at the front desk, while I was collecting myself in my office, it happened a few minutes later to someone else in the building and others from our floor could hear screaming from the elevator shaft. How in the actual f*ck does the front desk/security let someone else on the same elevator???
 
So I just learned that after my free fall and yelling at the front desk, while I was collecting myself in my office, it happened a few minutes later to someone else in the building and others from our floor could hear screaming from the elevator shaft. How in the actual f*ck does the front desk/security let someone else on the same elevator???
Sounds like you got yourself a lawsuit. Get you some retirement money
 
When I worked in Denver, a couple of people from out office came back from lunch as white as ghosts and shaking. Their elevator car had fallen several floors before stopping safely. I think a few of us took the steps down when we went home that night:)
 
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When I worked in Denver, a couple of people from out office came back from lunch as white as ghosts and shaking. Their elevator car had fallen several floors before stopping safely. I think a few of us took the steps down when we went home that night:)
Thank god I am a strapping HORT athlete with amazing strength and balance, because I can think of at least one person associated with our office with significant health issues who would have surely fallen when the emergency brake kicked in, and smashed his head. It is enough to put you in shock and have the blood drain from your face, that is for sure...
 
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Dying an an elevator fall seems unlikely as they have a braking system in place in the case of such eventualities.

Are you sure the elevator was in full freefall? If that is the case you should have been temporarily weightless.
 
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Almost just happened to me. My sense of time is distorted as it was a near death experience and I am still coming down from intense adrenaline/shock, but I free fell at least a second and maybe two. I thought I was going to die as I was about 13 or 14 floors up at that point. I was able to get off on the 7th floor and took another elevator down to the first floor to make sure they took that elevator out of commission IMMEDIATELY, and the front desk said they were working on that elevator. I said WHAT??? They didn't put an elevator out of commission that they were working on???? Wow. I was free falling, and I was like f*ck, this is how I'm going to go out? Damn. Never take your next breath for granted.
Damn, man. I would have taken the stairs after that fall. Holy crap.
 
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So I just learned that after my free fall and yelling at the front desk, while I was collecting myself in my office, it happened a few minutes later to someone else in the building and others from our floor could hear screaming from the elevator shaft. How in the actual f*ck does the front desk/security let someone else on the same elevator???
I think you might have compacted your spine, no?
 
Dying an an elevator fall seems unlikely as they have a braking system in place in the case of such eventualities.

Are you sure the elevator was in full freefall? If that is the case you should have been temporarily weightless.
Well, one of my partners issued a spoliation letter to the landlord for any records/evidence associated with performance of the elevators in our building or issues precipitating today's maintenance/repairs, so perhaps we will soon find out.
 
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You took another elevator ride immediately after experiencing a free falling one in the same bank?!
At that point I was enraged and in a state of shock, and I was not thinking clearly. There are 5 other elevators so I guess I just wanted to hop on one and get down as fast as a I could to talk to the front desk/security.
 
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I worked at a bar in college that was on the 3rd floor of an old building. Our ice machine was broken so I would take the service elevator down to the first floor bar to get ice. The light bulb was burned out in the elevator. So I go get a large tote of ice and unbeknownst to me the service elevator went back to the third floor. I stepped into what I thought was the elevator and just about s**t myself when my foot didn't touch the elevator floor. Luckily it was only a 6 inch drop or so and I didn't hurt anything. But for a split second I thought I was falling into the abyss. I know CSB
 
So I just learned that after my free fall and yelling at the front desk, while I was collecting myself in my office, it happened a few minutes later to someone else in the building and others from our floor could hear screaming from the elevator shaft. How in the actual f*ck does the front desk/security let someone else on the same elevator???
“Hey man, that’s not my job.”


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Almost just happened to me. My sense of time is distorted as it was a near death experience and I am still coming down from intense adrenaline/shock, but I free fell at least a second and maybe two. I thought I was going to die as I was about 13 or 14 floors up at that point. I was able to get off on the 7th floor and took another elevator down to the first floor to make sure they took that elevator out of commission IMMEDIATELY, and the front desk said they were working on that elevator. I said WHAT??? They didn't put an elevator out of commission that they were working on???? Wow. I was free falling, and I was like f*ck, this is how I'm going to go out? Damn. Never take your next breath for granted.

I was in the office elevator on the 6th floor one time when they kicked off a generator test for the building. The elevator dropped maybe half of a floor instantly and scared the #$#% out of me but I was ok otherwise.
 
Wasn’t it a few years ago that an elevator gave way just as a woman was stepping out? I think I read she was cut in two and half her body was in the elevator car with the other passengers for a few floors. 😳
 
My good friend worked as an elevator repairman for Kone for decades. It is likely you weren't actually in mortal danger, as there is always a redundant failsafe stoppage brake.

But I agree 100% it's insane they are still letting people use that elevator and you may have grounds to sue if you are injured in any way.
 
Wasn’t it a few years ago that an elevator gave way just as a woman was stepping out? I think I read she was cut in two and half her body was in the elevator car with the other passengers for a few floors. 😳
I wonder if her eyes kept blinking and mouth moved for awhile. That would be freaky AF.
 
I wonder if her eyes kept blinking and mouth moved for awhile. That would be freaky AF.
I might have my stories mixed up or adding some erroneous details. I just remember something like that and that they offered the other passengers counseling.
 
My good friend worked as an elevator repairman for Kone for decades. It is likely you weren't actually in mortal danger, as there is always a redundant failsafe stoppage brake.

But I agree 100% it's insane they are still letting people use that elevator and you may have grounds to sue if you are injured in any way.
I might not have been in actual mortal danger, but tell that to my heart, which is still kind of racing.
 
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Lady at work almost did, she fell 3 floors to the bottom of the elevator shaft. Cargo elevator, she thought it was there but it wasn't (so the story goes).

Pretty sure the company ended up paying quite a bit for that one.
 
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Had a guy killed when he fell down the elevator shaft at a construction site I was working on in my youth. They were moving some material and he stepped back into the hole...fell 4-5 stories. They didn't have any kind of barrier in place so I'm sure there was a fat settlement. The guy was in his late 20's IIRC. I was nowhere near it. They came around and told everybody to go home - I had no idea why until a friend called me a little later.
 
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