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Children Reunite With Atlanta Firefighters After Rope Rescue From Blind Elevator Shaft

Specialized training enabled crews to extract the pair safely despite no floor access.

Overview

  • Johnny Jones, 13, and his cousin Malai Moore, 11, were trapped for hours when a Peachtree Center elevator stopped between floors in downtown Atlanta.
  • Atlanta Fire Rescue Special Operations built a rope system on top of the car, lowered rescuers, secured the children in harnesses, and lifted them out.
  • Officials said the shaft had no accessible entry from any floor, with the car suspended roughly 75 feet above the bottom, according to CBS News.
  • Firefighters initially tried to reach the elevator company to reset the system but could not get through for hours, leading to the vertical extraction.
  • Cold and shaken but uninjured, the children later reunited with the crew for thanks, gift bags, and a firetruck tour, as the department highlighted routine training for technical rope rescues.