Stuck in an elevator? It happens more often in Myrtle Beach, SC area than you think
.jpeg "A TikTok video shows young women being freed by Myrtle Beach Fire Department rescue personnel after being stuck in an elevator at a Myrtle Beach hotel in 2023.")
One after another, teenage girls can be seen running off an elevator after Myrtle Beach Fire Department rescue officials pull apart the metal doors.
Each girl’s face reflects a different emotion, everything from laughter to crying, as they are finally freed.
The TikTok video filmed and posted last year shows what appears to be a lacrosse girls team stuck in a hotel elevator, eventually being rescued by fire officials. All together, 16 were on the elevator. The video has received nearly 4 million views.
With 425 hotels, according to Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, and millions of visitors each year, elevators are a necessary tool in the city.
But what goes up, often breaks down too.
And while elevator rescue calls don’t make up a large number of emergency calls, they happen a lot more than you might think.
“Usually, it happens because more people try to pile into the elevator at one time which stresses what it can do,” Myrtle Beach Fire Capt. Jon Evans said by text.
Evans said fire reports don’t break down elevator extrications from other types of rescues, but it is not an alarming number. Most calls are typically medical-based or accidents “just due to the number of people here during the ‘busy’ months versus the ‘off’ season,” Evans said.
The busy months are generally during the spring break months of March through May and then the summer, when tourists flock to the coastal cities and towns in Horry County.
Another TikTok video posted in June 2023 shows North Myrtle Beach rescue crews working to free people from an elevator.
Horry County Fire Rescue, which covers areas outside of the city limits of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, reported 34 elevator calls from March 1 through May 31, 2023, according to fire rescue spokesman Tony Casey.
The top calls for the Horry County Fire Rescue are medical-related and motor vehicle accidents, Casey said.
What to do if you are stuck in an elevator?
If you do find yourself stuck in an elevator, here are some things you should do and not do.
- Stay calm. It’s understandable that being stuck in an elevator can be stressful. However, it’s important to try to stay calm and wait for help to arrive, according to Liberty Elevator Corp.
- Push the alarm button. There is usually some alarm button inside the elevator. Push it and wait for someone to respond.
- Call for help. If you, or someone else, has a cell phone and you have service, call for help.
- Don’t try to force open the doors. If the elevator does begin to move again, you could fall out.
- Don’t jump up and down. Liberty Elevator Corp. says it won’t make the elevator restart again. Instead, it could affect the car’s stabilizer system and make rescuing more difficult.
- Don’t try to climb out. Even if the doors are slightly open, it’s best to wait for emergency personnel.
