Workers Rescued From Flooded NYC Elevator

Aug. 15, 2011
Record-setting rainfall yesterday wreaked havoc on the city's subways and airports -- and nearly killed two Staten Island construction workers.

Record-setting rainfall yesterday wreaked havoc on the city's subways and airports -- and nearly killed two Staten Island construction workers.

The two men had taken the elevator to the basement of the Staten Island Hotel, which is being converted into a senior citizens residence, on Richmond Avenue at around 9 a.m., the FDNY said. But when they got to the basement, the room was flooded, and the gush of water destroyed the elevator's electronics, trapping the men inside, officials said. The frantic pair managed to call 911, authorities said. But they didn't know the hotel's address -- and the phone disconnected.

The FDNY finally managed to identify an intersection and reach the hotel. When firefighters got there, they drove around the site until "we heard yelling in the elevator shaft. It was submerged in water," said Capt. James Melvin of Ladder Co. 86.

"They were happy to see us," Melvin said of the men. "They were in there for about an hour, and they didn't know what was going to happen."

The two workers, Edward Tyler and Windell Admaker, were taken to the firehouse to clean up and returned to the hotel to continue work.

The tri-state area got an average of 3 inches of rain. A record was set at Kennedy Airport, where 7.8 inches of rain by last night shattered the all-time single-day record of 6.27 inches of rain from June 30, 1984, said AccuWeather meteorologist Evan Duffey. At La Guardia, a 6.6-inch total bested the 3.51-inch daily record set Aug. 14, 2005.

Nine cars got stuck in water as high as 8 feet on Amboy Road on Staten Island.

Republished with permission of The New York Post

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!