Man gets stuck in an elevator with 2 others. Then water starts pouring through the ceiling: ‘It might drop’

A man said he and two other people became stuck inside an elevator between floors after water began coming through the ceiling. He identified himself as John Johnson during an emergency call and described the situation as the water continued to drip onto the floor.

In the TikTok video posted with the caption “Stuck on a elevator and I’m scared it might drop because it’s wet! We need help!!!”, the camera showed the inside of the cabin from a first-person view. Water appeared to drip through the gap above the closed doors onto the wood-patterned floor, which looked wet with some white residue.

Johnson told the dispatcher over the intercom that the elevators were getting saturated. He said, “Ma’am, it’s water. The elevators are getting- they’re getting saturated, so the electrical system is probably about to go. We might drop in the elevator down.” The dispatcher replied that emergency systems were being dispatched and asked for more information.

Technicians appear below the stuck elevator in a follow-up video

Johnson told the dispatcher there were three people on the elevator. When asked what floor it was going to, he replied, “7. Yeah, we’re not really sure. We think 7.” The dispatcher began to ask another question as the first video ended, with the camera showing the control panel and Johnson’s reflection holding his phone.

In a second TikTok video under the caption “Part 2 of being stuck in elevator,” the camera looked down through an opening at the bottom of the elevator doors. Two elevator repair technicians in black TKE-branded shirts and caps stood below in what appeared to be a maintenance room.

One technician wore a camouflage cap and smiled while looking up toward the passengers. The other, in a black TKE cap, held onto the doorway edge and gestured with his hands. An off-screen voice could be heard speaking in Korean as the technicians looked up and appeared to give instructions.

The camera panned around the elevator cabin, showing the button panel with floors up to 24, reflective walls, and the passengers inside. It then tilted down to the wood-grain tiled floor, where water puddles sat around the passengers’ feet.

The technicians continued to stand below the open doorway. The one in the camouflage cap stepped forward and leaned against the door frame as the clip concluded. No further details about how the situation ended were shown in the videos. Elevator breakdowns like this have gone viral before, including when a man got stuck alongside firefighters.

Viewers who watched the first video shared mixed reactions to how the emergency call was handled. Several commenters focused on the dispatcher’s questions, with one expressing frustration that time was spent confirming the man’s name before addressing the water and possible drop risk. They wrote, “She wasted precious seconds all bc she wanted his name. I would sue so hard.”

Some viewers directed their comments toward the building or elevator company. One stated simply, “sue the company for sure.” Others offered practical advice based on the situation described, with one recommending a different approach to getting help. They wrote, “Always call the fire department never call the property manager.” That advice echoes another viral story, in which a man stuck inside a Walmart toy prompted onlookers to call the fire department.

Not everyone agreed the call or the scene required urgent alarm. One commenter suggested the people inside remained relatively composed given the circumstances, writing, “Nah yall are still way to calm.” Another focused on the elevator’s safety systems and the water’s effect, stating, “I think if the electrical is affected the power might go out but the brakes should hold has modern day elevators have quite a few safety features installed at worse you would get a power outage.”