FDNY rescues two men who fell down elevator shaft

Dec. 8 (UPI) -- New York City firefighters successfully rescued two people that fell down an elevator shaft in the Bronx on Thursday.

Firefighters were called to the Target store at 11:15 a.m. EST, responding to the confined space rescue in three minutes, the department confirmed in an Instagram post.

"We found two victims in the elevator shaft. One was on top of the elevator, the second one past the elevator in the elevator pit. The first victim was removed immediately. The second victim was a little more difficult operation, he was underneath the elevator," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarrocco.

"We had to secure the elevator, set the brake. We sent our members and Rescue Paramedics down below to treat that victim. We had to breach a wall and set up a mechanical advantage in order to lift the person out of the elevator pit which was approximately 10-15 feet below the car."

The two victims were taken to local hospitals, with one in serious and one in critical condition.

The retail store on Exterior St. is located a short distance from Yankee Stadium.

The victims were reportedly a 29-year-old security guard, who was fighting with a 16-year-old after he was caught shoplifting, WCBS-TV reported, citing police sources.

Both men fell down the shaft after they banged into the elevator door, causing it to open without the lift there.

Firefighters used a pulley system to hoist one of the men free, which took around an hour.

"This is the best the FDNY has to offer," Sarrocco said in the statement.

"The training that goes on every day in order to do a technical rescue like that between the FDNY Fire Operations and FDNY EMS Operations, working in concert with each other in order to save this person's life who was underneath is just astounding."