How Long Does it Take to Get out of a Stuck Elevator?

How Long Does it Take to Get out of a Stuck Elevator? Being trapped inside an elevator is among the worst experiences anyone can have, especially the ones who are afraid of confined spaces and heights.

Things that have to be kept in mind when stuck in the elevator are unless you’re finding yourself in a life-or-death situation, calling for help and also waiting for it. A lot of escape attempts can just increase the level of danger.

Let’s know how much time you can remain stuck in the elevator and what can be done to get out of it.

What Should be Done When you’re Stuck?

When stuck in the elevator you must try not getting out through the emergency hatch. Stay calm right when you’ve realized that you’re stranded as it would be helpful in making sound decisions for getting out as soon as possible.

Upon panicking the body begins to feel a lot of effects and the capacity to think rationally decreases and it becomes hard to escape. When you’re panicking it’s good to breathe deeply. Your mind doesn’t panic when you’re relaxed.

Getting Light

When the lights get out you can find light source. When elevator is also dark, you can create light through the use of key chain flashlight or opening PDA or cellphone. You can try best not to keep device on for long that the battery power starts draining.

Having a light source also helps in seeing buttons while getting a better idea about the situation. You can use the flashlight feature of your phone, and using it properly makes it handy (until you’re not making the battery drain!)

Press Call Button

You can use your light source for the searching call button. Then you can press the call button for contacting a technician for helping you out. It alerts maintenance personnel when the elevator gets a problem. It is the best and quickest way to get help and is safer and better compared to the conventional DIY approach.

Try Contacting Help When You Don’t get any Answer

When you don’t get any response on the calling call button, you can check on the cell phone for the reception. Also without any reception, you can contact local emergency service numbers.

Pressing the Button “Door Open”

This button can sometimes just become jammed and on pressing it, it also opens up the elevator.

While you might think of it as a joke, you’ll get surprised to know how many stuck people call for help for escaping stranded elevators only for finding that they only need to press the button “door open”. Also, you must try the button “door close” which can also have become jammed.

When you’re Unable to Call Help, Try Getting People’s Attention Outside the Elevator

When you’ve tried calling button and haven’t gotten any good response, then the best thing would be shouting to call for help. You can also try banging on elevator door with shoes along with other objects and yell for alerting passerby.

Depending on the transmittance of sound on the door, tapping firmly with the door key can make a loud sound throughout the shaft of the elevator. Shouting also helps in alerting people outside the elevator to the situation, but you must know yelling or shouting can result in excessive panic.

So you should be reasonably calm while you’re yelling out till help reaches.

Making escape attempt

Only make this attempt if you’re able to see that elevator is close to a level with floor and it isn’t stuck in awkward position.

• Ensure that the elevator car doors can open – It shouldn’t be hard as only magnetic interlocks result in the opening of elevator car doors.
  
• Check where the elevator is – Use outside doors and see how much far doors are present from reach. When the elevator is two feet above the present floor then it’s best to proceed.
  
• Pull interlock while holding shaft door closed, then open door.
  
• Step (or later jump) down one the floor below you. Also, have balance when you land.
  
• Ensure that you’re assisting other passengers. Especially people with disabilities require assistance in escaping from the elevator.

How Long Does it Take to Get out of a Stuck Elevator? – Conclusion

The longest time someone was stuck in the elevator was about 41 hours. And this incident isn’t from far past. According to ABC News: The person was pacing around the elevator similarly to a bug trapped inside a box while fighting claustrophobia each minute of the 41-hour ordeal, which got captured on the surveillance camera.

However, it’s also best to make a good escape plan. Before you do so, make sure that the elevator is not stuck between floor spaces or other awkward positions. You can also try forcing elevator doors open.

Re-check the elevator car’s position. Pull interlock holding shaft door closed and open door after that. Whatever you do make sure that you’re not in panic mode as you can end up messing things up and putting yourself in a worse situation.