How to get out of a broken elevator with or without help

The worst nightmare for anyone with claustrophobia is being locked in an elevator. In an emergency like this, there are some things you can do and some things you should never do. Review them so that you are prepared if this happens.

At the awesome.club we present some information on how to behave in such a situation and how to escape the elevator if necessary.

In every emergency situation, anyone can say that panicking is far more destructive than the problem itself. When you get stuck in an elevator:

Try to breathe normally. If you panic, you may feel short of breath as the elevators are not very well ventilated. Take a deep breath. Regulate your heartbeat by standing in the “Superman Pose”.

Before doing anything else, try asking for help using the emergency button. However, if the electricity doesn’t work, this is not an option.

Let other people know you’re stuck by making as much noise as possible. Take off one shoe and hit the metal parts of the elevator door. Scream for help.

Outsiders can not only ask for help, but tell you the exact location you are in if you need to get out of there on your own.

If there is no electricity, try to find some light source that you have at hand, this can calm the feeling of panic a little and help you to locate yourself better, as it will allow you to see the elevator buttons well.

Use your phone. In general, all new cell phones have a flashlight included. If you have a flashlight key ring, you can also use that. Do not use a lighter as it is not only dangerous, it also consumes the oxygen you need to breathe.

If the call button doesn’t work, don’t rush out of there. First, try calling the building reception or an emergency number, cLike “193” (emergency number for firefighters) or, in Portugal, 112 (European Emergency Number)🇧🇷 You can also find the information on the elevator wall or on the button board.

If the elevator is blocked on one of the floors and just won’t open:

Don’t keep pressing the floor button you wanted initially. Try pressing the button for the floor where the elevator stopped. If it doesn’t work, try to open it with the “button to open the door”.

If help is on the way or if you know someone who is looking for you, try the following:

Make a phone call. Distract yourself with mobile games. If the above ideas don’t work, try thinking about your to-do list or how to rearrange your schedule for the day to accommodate that little elevator mishap.

Now, if there’s a medical emergency or other compelling reason that should be dealt with first, that means you should try to get out of the elevator yourself. But attention: only do this as a last resort. If the elevator suddenly starts working again, you could just be crushed.

Determine if you really need to get off the elevator yourself. Press the “Stop” button If it is stuck, remove it and press it again.

That way, you’ll ensure that the elevator doesn’t start moving while you’re exiting it.

First of all, make sure the elevator is not in the middle of two floors or in any other awkward position.

Then try to do the following:

Try to force the elevator doors open. Review the position of the elevator car again. Pull the inner latch keeping the door shaft closed, then open the door. Exit the elevator cabin. Help others who got stuck with you.

We hope you found this post very helpful and that you never find yourself in such an uncomfortable situation. In the comments, suggest other situations that you would like us to write about in another post.