BURST
Paramedics responding to a medical emergency in West Vancouver were trapped in an elevator with a patient for nearly half an hour — which a new safety investigation says highlights the risks of aging equipment and the importance of elevator maintenance.
The incident occurred last summer in an 18-storey residential tower built nearly six decades ago, which was operating with one working elevator for nearly two years. The second elevator upgrade was delayed, according to an incident report released last week by Technical Safety B.C.
B.C. Emergency Health Services paramedics responded to a 911 call on July 21, 2025, on the building’s 14th floor. Using the working elevator to reach the patient, the investigation said paramedics noted that any delay in higher care could have had severe consequences for the patient.
The patient, on a stretcher, was loaded into the elevator, but the doors kept closing four times. The last time, two paramedics pushed against the top of the car door to keep it from shutting. Investigators say their force and mechanical issues resulted in the door derailing from its track, trapping the crew and patient inside once a paramedic manually forced the door shut.
As the elevator headed down to the lobby, it stopped briefly on a few floors, making “scraping noises,” but the doors wouldn’t open. When the elevator reached the main floor, the crew called 911 using the elevator’s emergency intercom.
“One member used their personal phone to contact dispatch and update the hospital about the situation and delay,” the report stated. After 25 minutes trapped inside, firefighters used the Jaws of Life to force the elevator doors open. No further details on the patient’s condition were released.
Technical Safety B.C. found that heavy use, worn components and the crew’s efforts to manage the doors contributed to the malfunction.
Investigators also said relying on just one elevator while the second elevator’s upgrades were delayed probably affected maintenance and repair decisions to keep it running.
The report said Canadian regulations require elevators to have a maintenance control program to ensure they remain safe, including regular inspections, tests, cleaning, lubrication and adjustments.
The building’s only working elevator had routine maintenance that was signed off in April 2025. Monthly visits were also logged in February and March. But in the two months before the incident, it broke down six times, each time needing a technician for repairs.
An elevator mechanic told investigators the adjustable rollers that keep the doors on track couldn’t be tightened any further to stop jams. The next maintenance visit wasn’t scheduled until July 2025.