Staff Report
ONEONTA _ Two women trapped in an elevator at the National Soccer Hall of Fame on Thursday were safely rescued by Oneonta firefighters.
The women, who were not identified by firefighters, were Hall of Fame employees.
"They were between the first and second floor," Capt. Rob LaTourette said.
The women were stuck for about 30 minutes after the elevator malfunctioned, he said.
The response by firefighters included the question: Is anyone pregnant or having chest pains?
"That's the first thing we asked," LaTourette said a few hours after the rescue.
Firefighters were able to get through the elevator shaft doors, lower a ladder and pry open the elevator compartment doors. The women were then brought up to the second floor, he said.
"They certainly weren't in any panic," LaTourette said.
Hall of Fame spokesman Jack Huckel said elevator technicians were at the Hall shortly after the 9:30 a.m. incident to assess how the malfunction occurred.
There have been a few elevator or elevator shaft rescues in Oneonta but none in recent years, LaTourette said.
About 13 or 14 years ago, some college students became trapped in an elevator shaft at the Oneonta municipal parking garage after they kicked in a door on the third floor and fell to the top of the elevator car, he said.
There were also elevator malfunctions at the State University College at Oneonta eight to 10 years ago, LaTourette said.
