Person rescued after falling down elevator shaft in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood

PITTSBURGH — A person was rescued Thursday after falling down an elevator shaft in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood.

First responders were called to the 900 block of River Avenue around 2:30 p.m., according to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department.

A person had reportedly fallen 8-12 feet inside an abandoned building with no light or ventilation.

Rescue crews found him in the pit of an elevator shaft. Rescuers tested the air quality for contaminants before lowering four medics down to him.

Pittsburgh EMS District Chief tells us the victim was down there for six hours and is “lucky to be alive.”

The victim was conscious, but one of his legs was pinned down. Medics gave him fluids and pain control medication while they worked to get him out.

With splints on his lower body, he was placed in a harness and hoisted out on a board, officials say.

Medics took him to the hospital in stable condition and with multiple leg fractures.

The whole rescue took about 50 minutes.

Right now, it’s not clear what the victim was doing inside the building.

The Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections will now work to evaluate the building.

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