May 23–rescued 14 people trapped for hours in a stifling-hot, standing-room-only elevator that stalled at an Atlantic City hotel over the weekend by hoisting each of them 100 feet up the elevator shaft.
The passengers were at the Tropicana Casino & Resort to celebrate a 21st birthday when their elevator got stuck just before midnight Saturday, Capt. Bill Dilorenzo of the Atlantic City Fire Department said Monday.
The department was called about 1 a.m. Sunday after Tropicana failed to get the elevator running again, Dilorenzo said. Because of the need to set up equipment, the first passenger wasn’t lifted to freedom until around 2.
The last rescue occurred around 6:30 a.m., said Dilorenzo, president of Local 198 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Patrick Shields was lowered to the elevator car, which was stuck between the sixth and seventh floor, from the 15th floor — the next available floor with access.
One by one, Shields harnessed each passenger, and then Thomas Higbee and Brian Maiese carried them up the shaft, Dilorenzo said.
A representative for the Tropicana could not be reached for comment.
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