As reported in the New York Times, the elevator became stuck between floor 11 and floor 10.  Young Jacob tried to jump to floor 10 and lost his footing.  The elevator is maintained by the New York Housing Authority and numerous residents have lodged complaints over the past 12 months.

There almost certainly will be an investigation into the maintenance of the elevator to see if this tragedy could have been prevented.  Although, I understand, the children probably became frightened and possibly panicked, but they should have stayed were they were and waited for help.  I certainly am not blaming the children, but I am saying that something like this could serve as a reminder to review elevator safety with our own children. 

Otis Worldwide, one of the largest elevator companies in the world has published elevator safety tips that can be reviewed with family.  Although a tragedy like this is likely an anomaly, we should all be cautious of the potential hazards elevators pose.

Hartsfield-Jackson officials decided to take action following three separate incidents over the previous two months in which children, wearing soft-sided shoes or Crocs™, were injured when their shoes were caught in the escalators.  This change in policy comes several months after the Consumer Product Safety Commission released its latest bulletin regarding escalator dangers and tips on how to avoid them.

This danger is real in the Tampa Bay area, as many professional buildings and malls have escalators.  There was a serious case in 2002 where a young girl lost several fingers in an escalator at a St. Petersburg Dillard’s.  As a personal injury attorney and child safety advocate, I encourage parents to heed these precautions and be vigilant when riding the escalators with their children.  

Chronologically, the tragic events occurred as follows:

• July 3, a 16 year old boy, Landon Dillard, was struck while bike riding at summer camp in Colorado.
• July 5, a 19 year old man, Korey Moore, was struck embarking onto a pontoon boat from a jet ski on Lake Marion in Georgia.
• July 6, a 23 year old woman, Stephanie Kirpes, was tragically struck while joggin on the beach in Virginia.
• July 7, a 16 year old boy, Ben Richter, was struck while standing under a tree on his family’s farm in Wisconsin.
• July 7, a 16 year old boy, Lucian Ellis, was struck while his family sought shelter from a storm under a stilted structure in North Carolina.

These unfortunate losses are reminders to the rest of us of the dangers of lightning, especially during the summer months when we increase our outdoor activities. The National Weather Service has publications available for download to educate the public on the dangers of lightning and other weather phenomena, as well as national statistics of weather related injuries.