How to Survive Being Stuck in a Lift

Last Updated: March 1, 2020 References

Being stuck in a lift, also known as an elevator, can sometimes be scary, especially if you are a fan of those kinds of movies which have a lot of elevator tragedies. Even though being stuck in an elevator in real life is not like in the movies, it is still a vital thing to know how to survive if it ever happens to you.

Steps

1
Remain calm and do not panic! You may have heard this a lot of times and it is true that panicking will do you no good. It will cause you to not be able to think clearly and will not make your situation better. Remain calm and remember that this is reality and not a film, and a modern lift is not likely to come crashing down, even if the cables snap.^{[1]
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2
If it is dark, find a light source. Modern phones can usually be used to for this purpose.^{[2]
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3
Don't escape through the hatches in the ceiling. Luckily modern lifts don't have hatches in the ceiling. Escaping this way would be extremely dangerous.
4
Close out any negative thoughts and think positive. Remember that you are still alive, and don't believe it when your mind tells you that the walls are closing in. They are not closing in, they will not close in, and you can still breathe. Just keep it in mind that elevators usually have cameras, so don't do anything which looks stupid and you will regret (imagine what people would think when they view the tape).^{[3]
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5
Press each of the floor buttons one by one. Then, try the "doors open" button. If none of the buttons works, the lift is broken, and you need to let someone know about it.^{[4]
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6
Look through the gap between the doors of the lift.^{[5]
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- If you can see light between the doors, the lift has stopped near a floor, and you should be able to shout for help and be released, as the doors can be opened with a key. Do not try to force the doors open yourself. If the lift starts working again when you are partway out, you could be in for a nasty surprise.
- If you can't see light between the doors, the lift has stopped between floors, and no one will be able to let you out if you scream for help. Look for an emergency telephone. If there is no telephone, there should be an alarm button. Press this repeatedly. Eventually, someone should hear you and get help.
- If it seems like no one can hear you, don't give up hope! Keep pressing the button, and know that you will be rescued.
7
Check the time. If you have waited for more than half an hour and nobody has come to get you out shout and bang the inside walls of the lift; take off your shoe and bang with that. If there are still people in the building, you must get their help before they leave for the night.
- If everyone has left the building, and no one is responding to you, then you'll have to accept that you will be in the lift overnight. If this happens, stop shouting and banging - you don't want to develop sleep deprivation. You are probably tired by now. Make yourself as comfortable as possible, and get some sleep to save your energy. By morning, the building should be full again, and you can try to get some help then.
8
Call for help using either an emergency or alarm button located on the elevator's button panel or an emergency phone which should be built into the elevator, usually concealed behind a door under the button panel. It is law in most countries for elevators to have an emergency phone. If none of these options are available, try the next step.
9
Before the building shuts down, see if your phone has any reception or internet.
- If you do have reception, call emergency services. Explain your situation and ask for help. Tell them the address of the building you are in and between which floors you are stuck.
- If you have WiFi connection contact a family member or friend. You can go on Facebook and ask a friend that you know will believe you. Tell them that you are in an elevator that has stopped working and ask them to contact emergency services and explain your situation to the police or fire department. Don't forget to tell them what the address is of the building and possibly which elevator you are stuck in. Now, just wait patiently.

Community Q&A

Question

What if you don't have a phone or light source and nothing is working. What do you do then?

Community Answer

First up, stay calm; nothing gets solved in a panic. Try to feel about in the lift, in the usual placement for the button panel. Even in the dark, you should be able to feel the buttons as they have a glass feel to them, the emergency button is usually plastic and sticks out and often has braille markings on it. (There's a picture of the average one in the Made Recently section above.) Keep pressing it and help should arrive at some point. If you have a fear of the dark, take deep breaths and repeat calming mantras to yourself; rescue is on its way.
Question

How long are people normally stuck in a lift for?

Community Answer

If the building is active, the longest you'll probably be stuck for is about half an hour to an hour. Keep pressing the emergency button till help comes. However, if the building is closed, then you may have a longer wait (an hour or two, up to 8-9 hours at most), depending on where the emergency call goes to. Stay calm with deep breaths and reassure yourself that help is coming; rescuers don't dawdle when they know people are stuck in a lift.
Question

If I'm in an elevator that is 2 meters by 2 meters, how long will it take for the oxygen to be depleted?

Community Answer

The air in elevators is not sealed in. You can have any amount of oxygen you need.

Warnings

Do not escape through the hatches in the ceiling (if the elevator has any). You might accidentally fall off of the side or the elevator can start working again while you are on the ceiling, ascend, and crush you.

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