Stranded students share jokes

From Staff Reports

The CUB tower elevator remains out of order until further notice after an incident Monday morning that left multiple occupants stranded.

One WSU police officer and elevator operators were notified at about 11 a.m. by the Whitcom E-911 dispatch operator of an immovable elevator cart containing 16 people.

“Help is on the way,” said McKenna Reis, freshman communication major, reciting the voice that responded to a students’ press of the emergency button. “Right when it started to go down, it just stopped working and we were probably 10 feet from the top.”

Pullman Fire Chief Mike Heston said the fire department received a call for assistance at about 11:30 a.m.

Heston said five personnel from the Pullman Fire Department responded to the situation, and upon arrival proceeded to place an attic ladder down the elevator shaft and through the cart’s service hatch.

Students climbed up the ladder to safety with the help of fire fighters.

WSU Assistant Chief of Police Steve Hansen said no injuries occurred in Monday’s elevator incident.

Reis said her after-class experience turned into 20 minutes of compact conversation with fellow stuck students. She said there was no sense of panic.

“Everyone was pretty cool about it,” she said. “No one was freaking out; we were all making jokes and laughing.”