Aug 20, Faridabad: This Sunday, when eight-year-old Garvit Chandila left his fourth-floor apartment of Omaxe Heights Society, Faridabad, to go to the tuition, he did not expect to be in the lift for over two hours.
The lift got stuck on the second floor of the building. Garvit tried to ring the emergency button and alert the security staff by knocking on the lift doors, but his calls went unanswered.
Then, he remembered his father’s advice to not panic in a crisis. He started doing his homework to distract himself.
An hour later, the tuition teacher called the parents to inform them that Garvit had not reached the tuition. This led to a frantic search for the child. The security guard informed the parents that the lift had not been working since 5 pm.
This is how the lift doors were opened and Garvit was rescued – at about seven pm – a little over two hours later.
Children under twelve years of age are not supposed to use the lift unattended. In this case, the mother could not accompany the child because she was unwell.
The parents of the child have asked for action against those responsible for the incident. They have indicated that the lifts were often out of order and not enough was done to maintain them.
Things to Remember
Children under 12 should not use the lift unescorted.
Even if it is an everyday thing, if the child is going anywhere unattended, ensure that the child has reached safely. Every single time.
In this case, Garvit displayed exemplary presence of mind and calm. Such calm is exceptional – even for adults. Keeping calm until rescue possibly helped the child get out of it unharmed – both mentally and physically.
If an elevator stops working, or before locking the fire exit of a building, always ensure that there is no one inside. If the building administration does not do it, the residents should knock on the door of the lift and check that there is no one inside, even if the alarm is not ringing.