Buzz
Elevators are often regarded as one of the safest mechanical transportation methods. When you think about it, how many times have you taken an elevator? Most likely, hundreds of times, and if you live or work in a skyscraper, probably thousands. Aside from rare mechanical failures, which are statistically unlikely (only 1 in 12 million elevator trips encounter any issue, most of which are minor, such as doors failing to open), you're probably safe. Out of the millions of elevator rides each year, only 20-30 result in fatalities, typically involving maintenance workers, reckless actions (like exiting a stalled elevator), careless behavior (such as stepping into an open elevator shaft), or sheer bad luck (for example, getting a scarf caught in the closing doors). However, two tragic elevator incidents in New York City have recently drawn attention to this vital technology we often take for granted, reminding us of its potential for danger.
The first tragedy occurred when 41-year-old Suzanne Hart tragically lost her life in an elevator accident. Hart worked in a New York City high-rise and was on the first floor, preparing to head to work around 10 a.m. As she entered the elevator, the doors shut and the lift ascended to the second floor, pulling her up into the elevator shaft. She became trapped between the first and second floors and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other passengers, who witnessed the horrifying event, were treated for trauma. The cause of the malfunction remains unclear.
The second incident was not caused by a mechanical failure or any error by the elevator’s passengers. Instead, it was a brutal and premeditated murder. On Saturday, December 17, 2011, Jerome Isaac killed 73-year-old Deloris Gillespie in a horrifying act of violence. Ms. Gillespie was returning home from grocery shopping in Prospect Heights, New York City. After entering the building’s elevator to reach her fifth-floor apartment, she encountered Isaac, who had been waiting for her. Isaac, furious over money he believed Ms. Gillespie owed him, attacked her as the doors opened on the fifth floor. Surveillance footage shows Isaac spraying a flammable liquid, possibly gasoline, into Ms. Gillespie’s face with a garden sprayer before pushing her back into the elevator. He then ignited a Molotov cocktail, threw it inside, and set her on fire. For good measure, he sprayed more gasoline on her as she burned. She was declared dead at the scene, and Isaac was later apprehended.
It’s nearly impossible to imagine a more agonizing death in an elevator than that of Ms. Gillespie. Yet, there are still more heartbreaking elevator accidents that demand attention.
10. Pennsylvania Electrical Mechanical Institute
On the evening of May 22, 1903, in Pittsburgh, PA, a large crowd of mostly young attendees from the Pennsylvania Electrical Mechanical Institute gathered for a celebration on the fifth and sixth floors of the Donnelley Building. About 700 people crowded the two floors for a ball, and at approximately 10 PM, another group of 17 passengers entered an elevator on the first floor, headed to the party on the sixth floor. However, as the elevator neared the floor, it suddenly malfunctioned and plummeted six stories, crashing into the elevator pit. The heavy elevator assembly and cable crashed onto the passengers, crushing them. When the celebration-goers heard the collapse, they rushed to the scene. In the ensuing panic, some almost fell into the open shaft. Four bodies were recovered from the wreckage and taken to a morgue. Due to the extreme mutilation of the bodies, they were not identified until the following day, with identification made only through the clothing they wore. Remarkably, the others in the elevator, including a 3-year-old, survived. The cause of the accident was attributed to overloading the elevator with 17 people, despite the maximum weight limit for only 10 to 12.
9. American Woolen Company
December 1946. World War II had ended just four months prior, but life across the United States continued as industry worked to transition from wartime production back to peacetime. In the small town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, at the American Woolen Company textile mill, twelve women were about to do something they did every day at work – board an elevator. But on this particular day, things would take a tragic turn.
Textile mills have always been dangerous environments. Unguarded machinery could easily trap a worker, leading to severe injuries or death from being crushed, cut, or impaled. The air was thick with textile dust, which, when inhaled, could lead to diseases like brown lung or even anthrax. Fires were a frequent hazard in such workplaces.
By 1946, nearly 100 years had passed since March 23, 1857, when the first Otis passenger elevator was installed at 488 Broadway, New York City. The Otis safety elevator was the first to include an automatic safety feature designed to prevent free-fall if the cable snapped. While elevator accidents and fatalities did happen, they were typically due to occupant error or maintenance activities, a trend that still holds true today. So, when the twelve women stepped onto their work elevator that day, they had no reason to fear.
As the women boarded the elevator on the third floor, the operator, Mrs. Blanche Foss, heard a loud crack overhead. She quickly jumped out of the elevator just as it gave way and plunged three stories into the elevator pit. What Mrs. Foss heard was the failure of the elevator cable and its drum support assembly. As the elevator and its occupants crashed into the pit, the situation grew even more perilous. Moments after the impact, the massive 500-ton elevator cable, drum, and assembly broke through the wooden roof of the elevator. Two women were killed instantly, suffering from compound leg fractures, skull fractures, and broken necks. The remaining ten women survived but were gravely injured. The mill's superintendent claimed the elevator was in perfect condition and expressed confusion as to the cause of the accident.
8. Isaac Jordan
Isaac Jordan holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only US Congressman ever to die in an elevator accident. Born in 1835 on a farm in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, Jordan would go on to become a US Congressman and one of the founders of the Sigma Chi fraternity in 1855. A self-made man, he was elected as the US Representative for Ohio's 2nd District in 1883.
In 1890, Jordan's life came to a tragic end when he accidentally fell to his death after leaving his law office in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. As he approached the elevator, he turned to greet a friend. Unaware that the elevator had risen to the floor above with its doors partially open, Jordan continued speaking to his friend while backing up. In a sudden motion, he stepped into the open shaft and fell to his death.
7. Minato Ward Incident
Hirosuke Ichikawa, a 16-year-old student from the City Heights Takeshiba public housing complex in Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan, faced a tragic accident in June 2006. While backing his bicycle out of an elevator, the elevator malfunctioned. As Ichikawa was halfway out, the elevator suddenly shot upwards with the doors wide open, pinning him against the door frame. He tragically died from asphyxiation. Despite the power to the elevator being cut, the elevator continued moving to the top of the shaft, halting only when it collided with a safety device. Police later removed Ichikawa’s body from the elevator.
The investigation into the incident raised major concerns about elevator safety across Japan, particularly regarding those manufactured by the Swiss company Schindler. Authorities uncovered 41 mechanical faults across two Schindler elevators in the building over a two-year period. The final cause of the accident was traced back to a malfunction in the elevator’s braking system, compounded by poor maintenance. Consequently, the Minato Ward public housing corporation decided to replace all five Schindler elevators in the building with units from a different manufacturer.
6. Sherwood and Caroline Wadsworth
Sherwood and Caroline Wadsworth first crossed paths while attending Ursinus College in Pennsylvania during the 1940s. Afterward, Sherwood served as a bomber pilot during World War II, completing several missions. Caroline, the daughter of a successful car dealer, supported him throughout. Following the war, Sherwood opened a car dealership business in the Philadelphia area, and the couple later retired to the Georgia coast in the early 1980s.
The Wadsworths' home, a three-story property with views over Georgia's coastal marshes, featured an elevator. Elevators have become increasingly common in private residences, yet Georgia does not mandate regular inspections for elevators in homes, unlike those in public or commercial buildings. However, the state does require all elevators, whether in public or private spaces, to be equipped with a landline phone. Although the Wadsworths' elevator had a phone jack, no phone was ever connected to it.
The 60 years the Wadsworths spent together ended tragically due to an elevator malfunction and the absence of a phone to summon help. Neighbors grew concerned when they noticed the couple hadn't taken out their trash, and the newspaper delivery person reported that their papers were piling up. This prompted a call to the police, who broke into the house. The only thing they found was the Wadsworths' cat. In the elevator, wedged between the second and third floors, were the bodies of the couple, lying in a fetal position facing each other. They had died from heat exhaustion, as temperatures inside the elevator reached 95°F. The lack of a phone meant they could not call for help. Police estimated the Wadsworths were trapped for at least four days before they were discovered. The couple's son remarked, 'We always said we hoped they would go together because if one went, the other wouldn’t survive long. They were so dependent on each other.'
5. Gerhardt “Jerry” Fuchs
Gerhardt “Jerry” Fuchs was a drummer who played with indie rock bands like Turing Machine and Maserati. He also performed live or contributed to recording sessions for artists such as LCD Soundsystem and Moby. In addition to his musical career, Fuchs was a graphic artist and freelance writer, contributing to Entertainment Weekly. Sadly, Fuchs became a tragic example of one of the two most common causes of elevator-related fatalities: attempting to escape a malfunctioning elevator.
On the morning of November 8, 2009, while attending a benefit concert in New York, Fuchs became trapped in a malfunctioning elevator in Brooklyn. It is unclear whether he was unable to call for help, or if he simply grew frustrated with the wait for assistance and attempted to fix the situation himself. As is often the case with elevator fatalities, Fuchs decided to escape the elevator on his own. While trying to jump out, he tragically fell down the elevator shaft to his death.
4. James Chenault
On January 6, 1995, 55-year-old James Godfrey Chenault went to work at the Kingsbridge Welfare Center in the Bronx, New York, a place he had worked at for two decades. On the first floor of the office building, Chenault and several other passengers boarded the elevator. For an unknown reason, the elevator ascended too quickly to the second floor. Upon stopping, the elevator doors opened to reveal it had stopped slightly above the second floor. A Vietnam War veteran, Chenault was used to difficult situations, so he decided to help the female passengers exit. He held the doors open with his back while straddling the elevator, one leg inside and one leg outside on the second floor. As he assisted the passengers, the elevator suddenly shot upwards, causing a fatal accident. The elevator’s rapid movement beheaded him, and his body fell onto the second floor lobby. His head, along with two remaining passengers, was thrown up to the ninth floor. One of the passengers recalled the horror, saying, 'I can’t get it out of my mind. The head was there but the body wasn’t. He still had the Walkman (earphones) on his head...'. The elevator had a history of issues and had been inspected just weeks before, on November 1, 1994, passing the inspection.
3. Hitoshi Christopher Nikaidoh
Hitoshi Christopher Nikaidoh's death is among the most horrifying elevator fatalities on record. A surgery resident at Christus St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, Texas, Nikaidoh worked in a hospital that, like most, relied on elevators for transporting patients and staff. For four days, however, elevator #14 had been closed for repairs. Physician's assistant Karin Leah Steinau had been using the stairs but, on Saturday, August 16, 2003, she noticed that the 'out of service' sign had been removed, so she decided to take the elevator. Nikaidoh was standing near the physicians' lounge on the second floor as she approached the elevator. He was an aspiring missionary doctor and well-liked among his peers. It was just 9:30 AM, and everything seemed ordinary, but the day would turn tragic in an instant.
Steinau pressed the call button, as she typically did for the notoriously slow elevators, and waited for the first one to arrive. It was elevator #14, the one closest to Nikaidoh. Steinau crossed the lobby to join him, and after entering the elevator, she pressed the button for the sixth floor. Nikaidoh, unsure whether the elevator was functioning, asked Steinau if it was working. She assured him that it seemed to be back in service. As he stepped inside, the elevator doors suddenly slammed shut on him. Normally, such doors would reopen automatically, but this did not happen. Nikaidoh was trapped, and as the elevator began to ascend, it pinned him between the doors and forced his head into the ceiling. The resulting pressure severed most of his head. His body, with parts of his head still attached, fell to the bottom of the shaft as the elevator continued its ascent. It stopped just below the fifth floor. It took rescuers an hour to free Steinau, who was trapped inside the elevator with the remainder of Nikaidoh's head. 'I just keep seeing the look in his eyes,' she later said to officers.
2. Betty Lou Oliver
On July 28, 1945, as the world neared the end of World War II, Lieutenant Colonel William Franklin Smith, Jr. was piloting a B-25 Mitchell bomber from Boston to LaGuardia Airport. Upon reaching New York City, he was informed that visibility was zero due to thick fog. Despite this, Smith chose to continue flying, but soon became lost in the fog. He crashed the B-25 into the north side of the Empire State Building between the 78th and 80th floors, creating a massive hole 18 feet by 20 feet wide. One of the plane's engines shot through the opposite side of the building, landing on the roof of another structure, where it ignited a fire in a penthouse. Firefighters managed to control the blaze within 40 minutes of impact, marking the highest level in a building where a fire was successfully put out. Tragically, 14 people lost their lives—three in the plane and 11 in the building.
Among the survivors in the building was Betty Lou Oliver, whose fate could be seen as either incredibly lucky or unlucky, depending on perspective. Oliver, the elevator attendant on the 75th floor, was thrown to the ground by the force of the plane's impact and suffered burns from the jet fuel. However, the dangers were far from over. To get her to safety, rescuers decided to use the elevator to bring her down the 75 stories to the ground floor. Unbeknownst to them, the elevator had been damaged in the crash, and its cables were nearly severed. As the elevator doors closed, the cables snapped, sending Oliver and the elevator plummeting 75 floors to the basement. Miraculously, she survived, as the elevator’s fall was softened by thousands of feet of cable that had fallen to the basement beforehand. Once again, Oliver had to be rescued, this time from the wreckage at the bottom of the elevator shaft, buried under twisted metal. Seriously injured but alive, she holds the record for surviving the longest elevator free fall in history. Her survival remains the only known case of a modern cable-driven elevator free-fall until the events of September 11, 2001.
1. Louis Tornero Moffit
The most frequent cause of death in elevator accidents is related to elevator maintenance workers who are repairing or servicing them. The second leading cause involves elevator occupants who become trapped in stalled elevators and, in an attempt to escape, either fall to their death or, while trying to climb out, are crushed when the elevator suddenly moves in either direction.
Louis Tornero Moffit discovered a new and highly dangerous way to meet his end in an elevator—by surfing one. Elevator surfing, or 'Vator Surfing,' is the act of riding on top of a moving elevator. While it may appear easy in action films starring Bruce Willis, it is, in reality, incredibly perilous.
To participate in this dangerous 'sport,' enthusiasts access the top of the elevator by either prying open the doors of the floor above and jumping down onto the elevator's roof, or by stopping the elevator between floors and entering the shaft through a ceiling hatch. Once atop the elevator, the surfer quickly realizes that real-life elevators and elevator shafts are far different from the ones depicted in Hollywood movies. First, Bruce Willis is nowhere to be found. Second, the elevator shafts are much narrower. Third, they are dirty, covered in grease and lubricant. Fourth, they are dark, unlike the bright sets in films. Fifth, there are various protrusions, devices, and machinery in the shaft that pose serious hazards, including the elevator's counterweight.
Moffit, a Canadian-born adrenaline junkie, was known for his love of BASE jumping—leaping from towers, bridges, and other high structures with a parachute. Along with his friends, Moffit sought to perform a BASE jump inside the massive five-tiered auditorium of the Toronto Four Seasons Centre. However, before attempting the jump, they indulged in some elevator surfing. Early one morning, they broke into the Centre and proceeded to the elevators. Moffit climbed on top of one while his friends controlled the elevator from inside. Tragically, Moffit was still wearing his parachute, which somehow deployed while he was inside the elevator shaft as the elevator ascended. According to police who later found Moffit in the shaft, 'his harness and parachute became entangled with the machinery of the ascending elevator.' Moffit was pronounced dead at the scene, with the cause of death listed as 'strangulation and massive trauma to the head and abdomen.'
+ World Trade Center Buildings
Sixty-six years after the tragic B-25 bomber crash into the Empire State Building, New York City faced a similar disaster. This time, however, the planes were not piloted by American servicemen, but by terrorists intent on destroying the iconic World Trade Center buildings 1 and 2. Unlike most buildings, which typically have two to four elevators, the World Trade Center had an impressive 198 elevators—one of the most sophisticated elevator systems in the world, transporting thousands of people up and down 110 stories daily.
On September 11, 2001, when the two airliners collided with the towers, the force of the crashes severed the cables of many elevators, resulting in only the second recorded instance of a cabled elevator system falling freely. The exact number of people trapped in these elevators, who either plummeted to the bottom of the shafts, were burned alive by jet fuel, or were trapped and perished when the buildings collapsed, remains unknown. USA Today’s investigation suggested that upwards of 200 people likely died in the elevators of both towers that day.
The elevator shafts served as conduits for spreading burning jet fuel and smoke, both vertically and horizontally, throughout the towers. Many documented accounts tell of people standing near elevators or preparing to enter or exit them when the jets struck. These individuals were severely burned by the jet fuel that traveled down the elevator shafts, igniting upon impact. USA Today’s report uncovered 21 people who had been trapped in elevators after the planes struck but managed to escape before the towers collapsed. Sadly, no examples of successful rescues by emergency responders were found, though many firefighters lost their lives attempting to free those trapped.
However, the elevators played a vital role in aiding evacuations from the south tower between the impacts on the two towers. In the roughly 16-minute window between the two plane crashes, many people used the elevators to reach safety as the north tower had already been struck.
The elevators played an additional, lesser-known role in saving lives that day. The elevator motors, cables, and other massive components were housed in robust mechanical rooms on the 78th floor of the South Tower. When the plane struck, the elevator mechanical room’s sturdy structure prevented the plane from fully penetrating the building. This left one stair tower untouched, allowing people to use it to escape the building, as it was the only stair tower that hadn’t been destroyed by the impact.
Among the debris of the collapsed World Trade Center towers, various elevator components were found, including one of the massive motors. This motor, along with numerous other artifacts recovered from the site, will be showcased in the new 9/11 museum, located at the former World Trade Center site.
