april.thompson@wreg.com
"Everybody just panicked. Two of us passed out," says one worker.
She was one of those trapped. Her work pants ripped during her rescue.
"I started crying. I was praying, crying at first. We just need to get up out of here, " she says.
Around 9:45am the workers, headed to a staff meeting, stepped on the elevator, the doors closed, but the elevator didn't move.
Maintenance workers and guests scrambled to get the women out, as the temperature rose.
"It was real hot. It was real hot in there," says the worker.
Fire rescuers arrived. By 10:15am everyone had been pulled out. Five people were taken to Methodist Germantown.
"They were transported to various hospitals because of panic attacks. They hyper-ventilated in the elevator and became extremely warm in the elevator. We transported them for precautionary reasons," says Lt. Wayne Cook with the Memphis Fire Department.
"I am not surprised they panicked. They were stuck inside. That is pretty scary," says hotel guest Tom Bilkie.
But apparently this wasn't the first time.
A baseball team stayed at the hotel over the weekend. The team coach says 11 of their team members got stuck on the elevator Saturday for two hours.
Hotel officials say the elevator is now being repaired.
But it's little consolation for some.
"I am not getting on another elevator. I am not getting on another. I am just gonna have to take the stairs next time," says the rescued worker.
None of the employees had serious injuries.
The five that went to the hospital were checked and expected to be released.
- Eleven employees at Hampton Inn stuck in hotel elevator
- Workers had to be pulled out of elevator
- Five people taken to hospital after panic attacks, no serious injuries
"Everybody just panicked. Two of us passed out," says one worker.
She was one of those trapped. Her work pants ripped during her rescue.
"I started crying. I was praying, crying at first. We just need to get up out of here, " she says.
Around 9:45am the workers, headed to a staff meeting, stepped on the elevator, the doors closed, but the elevator didn't move.
Maintenance workers and guests scrambled to get the women out, as the temperature rose.
"It was real hot. It was real hot in there," says the worker.
Fire rescuers arrived. By 10:15am everyone had been pulled out. Five people were taken to Methodist Germantown.
"They were transported to various hospitals because of panic attacks. They hyper-ventilated in the elevator and became extremely warm in the elevator. We transported them for precautionary reasons," says Lt. Wayne Cook with the Memphis Fire Department.
"I am not surprised they panicked. They were stuck inside. That is pretty scary," says hotel guest Tom Bilkie.
But apparently this wasn't the first time.
A baseball team stayed at the hotel over the weekend. The team coach says 11 of their team members got stuck on the elevator Saturday for two hours.
Hotel officials say the elevator is now being repaired.
But it's little consolation for some.
"I am not getting on another elevator. I am not getting on another. I am just gonna have to take the stairs next time," says the rescued worker.
None of the employees had serious injuries.
The five that went to the hospital were checked and expected to be released.
