NO WAY OUT

Elevator Malfunction Leaves 5 Tourists Stranded Underground in Grand Canyon Caverns

The group were stuck 21 stories down on Sunday evening.

A group of five people have been stranded deep underground in the Grand Canyon Caverns after an elevator malfunctioned, authorities said. With the elevator out of commission, the visitors to the 65-million-year-old caverns in Peach Springs, Arizona, have also been unable to use an alternative stairway system akin to an old external fire escape, Coconino Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jon Paxton said. While awaiting a ride to the surface around 21 stories above them, the tourists are reportedly accommodated by hotelkeepers who run a six-person suite and food service in the caverns. The suite usually costs $1,000 a night for two. Paxton said attempts to get the elevator running with an external generator on Monday were unsuccessful, and that the issue could be mechanical.