Grand Canyon Caverns tourists rescued after spending night 21 stories underground
Oct 25, 2022, 2:45 PM
PHOENIX – Several tourists were rescued by ropes Monday after spending a night 21 stories underground because of a broken elevator at Grand Canyon Caverns in northern Arizona, authorities said.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that eight people were at the bottom when the elevator malfunctioned Sunday night, and four were able to get out on their own by climbing up an emergency staircase.
Authorities decided those stranded could stay overnight in a hotel suite at the bottom of Grand Canyon Caverns while efforts were made the fix the elevator.
When the elevator wasn’t fixed by 10:30 a.m. Monday, a rescue crew with 10 Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and four Flagstaff Fire Department members was dispatched to the tourist attraction in Peach Springs.
The rescuers arrived around 2 p.m. and constructed a rope system inside the elevator shaft. One of the people who stayed overnight wound up climbing the stairs, and rescuers pulled out the other three, one at a time.
Nobody required medical attention, and the rescue was complete by 6 p.m.
Grand Canyon Caverns is located off Route 66 between Kingman and Flagstaff and isn’t part of Grand Canyon National Park.
