People trapped in an elevator of a Chicago skyscraper, the fourth largest building in the Windy City, forms a prayer circle before it falls to 84 floors.
Trapped In An Elevator
On Nov. 16, 2018, the elevator of a Chicago skyscraper, popularly called the John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue, suddenly broke down. And when it happened, a group of visitors was inside the elevator.
Photo Courtesy | YouTube – NBC News
Jaime Montemayor, one of the visitors from Mexico, thought that was the end of their lives.
“At the beginning, I believed we were going to die,” he said. “We were going down and then I felt that we were falling down and then I heard a noise — clack clack clack clack clack clack.”
His wife, Maña Montemayor, also added, “I knew something wasn’t OK.”
Prayer Circle
Four other people were also trapped inside the elevator with them. Fear engulfed the group as they waited on what would happen. But the Montemayors began to hold each other and prayed. And soon, the others joined with them and formed a prayer circle. Prayers began to arise from the group amid the scary moment.
Rescue Operation
Meanwhile, rescuers outside had problems reaching them.
Chicago Battalion Fire Chief Patrick Maloney explained, “It was a precarious situation where we had the cable break on top of the elevator. (W)e couldn’t do an elevator-to-elevator rescue. We had to breach a wall.”
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford also added that they don’t like to breach walls “unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
He explained, “The only other way to get to the elevator would have been ropes from the 97th floor. And that would not be safe. We don’t come down like Batman, so we must go through the wall.”
Finally, after three hours, the responders rescued all the passengers. They all made it safe, and no one had to go to the hospital. Later on, they realized how they had fallen from the building’s Signature Room on the 95th floor to the 11th floor.
Praise God for the protection He gave them!
Reference: Faithpot