The South Pasadena Public Library temporarily lost power during a city-wide power outage on Saturday 8-11-2018 at approximately 2:30pm. The loss of power affected the library elevator and caused it to be stuck with a passenger inside.
Sue Thompson, a Pasadena resident, who is a decades long regular at the library, was trapped inside for about 30 minutes. She reported that she did not have a mobile phone with her and was banging on the doors and shouting out for help. “Thank God the library staff heard me!” she exclaimed to this reporter after her rescue.
She went on to say that she’s never been stuck on an elevator before. She was just hoping help was on the way. “I could hear the staff letting me know that they’d called the fire department and then I knew I’d be just fine,” said Thompson.
The South Pasadena Fire Department and the Pasadena Fire Department responded with multiple fire trucks, ladder trucks, paramedic vehicles all filling Oxley Street corner to corner.
While inside the library the combined personnel from both departments worked together on both floors to perform an elevator rescue. The fire departments’ personnel stayed in vocal communication with Sue as she awaited the results of their rescue work.
After about 20 minutes of fire crews working on the elevator mechanisms, the power was restored to the library. Fire personnel could be heard shouting instructions to Sue through the elevator doors for her to push a button on the inside panel. Then; the door slid open and out she came. No injuries were immediately reported.
A relieved and thankful Sue Thompson met her rescuers: “You guys are my heroes today! Thank you all so much for getting me out of there” Onlookers applauded her safe egress and away Sue went on to the rest of her day.
Sue has been a resident of Highland Park and now Pasadena for many decades.
