Five tourists who were trapped some 200 feet underground at Arizona's Grand Canyon Caverns for more than 24 hours due an elevator malfunction have since been rescued, authorities said.
A sign for Grand Canyon Caverns is pictured in Peach Springs, Ariz., April 27, 2022.Five tourists who were trapped some 200 feet underground at Arizona's Grand Canyon Caverns for more than 24 hours due an elevator malfunction have since been rescued, authorities said.
"All subjects were safely removed at approximately 7:30 p.m. last night and were all in good condition," Jon Paxton, public information officer for the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, told ABC News in an email on Tuesday morning. The elevator broke down on Sunday evening when visitors went to leave the popular tourist attraction near Peach Springs, Arizona, about 100 miles west of Flagstaff. Several people were able to walk up the 21 flights of stairs to get out, but five others were either unable to safely do so or chose to stay behind with those who physically couldn't, according to the sheriff's office.
The stranded group was provided accommodation and food that night by a small hotel and restaurant adjacent to the dry caverns, which are among the largest in the United States and date back 65 million years. The elevator malfunction was initially thought to be electrical but is now believed to be mechanical after an external generator that arrived on Monday did not fix the problem, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office said it sent a search and rescue team with a basket apparatus that can lift people up the elevator shaft one-by-one, in the event that the technicians could not repair the elevator quickly.ABC News' Marilyn Heck and Nick Kerr contributed to this report.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Arizona tourists stuck 200 feet underground in Grand Canyon Caverns after elevator breaksFive tourists were stuck 200 feet underground in Grand Canyon Caverns on Monday, about 24 hours after the elevator they took into the cave on Sunday broke down.
Read more »
Tourists stranded 200 feet below ground when elevator malfunctions at Grand Canyon CavernsThe group was stuck approximately 20 stories below ground.
Read more »
Tourists get stuck 200 feet underground after Grand Canyon Caverns elevator breaksFive people touring the Grand Canyon Caverns over the weekend were rescued after they became stuck when the elevator that took them more than 200 feet underground broke down.
Read more »
Tourists stranded 200 feet below ground when elevator malfunctions at Grand Canyon CavernsThe group was stuck approximately 20 stories below ground.
Read more »
Tourists rescued from Grand Canyon Caverns after spending the night 200 feet below groundA group of tourists was rescued on Monday after an elevator malfunction left them stranded in Arizona's Grand Canyon Caverns for nearly 30 hours.
Read more »
Tourists stranded 200 feet below ground when elevator malfunctions at Grand Canyon CavernsSix tourists were rescued after an elevator malfunctioned about 200 feet underground at the Grand Canyon Caverns in Arizona Tuesday.
Read more »