Charles Darwin at a green chalkboard.

2000 Darwin Awards

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Honoring Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool--by removing themselves from it in the most spectacular way possible.

Elevator Wedgie
2000 Darwin Award Winner
Unconfirmed by Darwin

(5 June 2000, Australia) A 23-year-old man who dropped his keys down a lift shaft was killed when he tried to retrieve them. The man was entering a lift with two work mates when he accidentally dropped his key ring. He asked his mates to hold the lift while he climbed out to retrieve it. He exited via the ceiling trapdoor, and was scrambling down the side of the lift when an adjacent car began to move. It wedged him so firmly against the lift wall that it took police rescuers 3 hours to extract the crushed man, and additional two minutes to retrieve his keys.

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Submitted by: Craig Bingham
Reference: Daily Telegraph, Sydney Australia

A reader cautioned, "While elevator ceiling trapdoors are common in movies, they don't actually exist. Don't believe me? Go to serveral different buildings, get in the elevator, and look up. You won't find a door."

After hearing this, readers searched their own elevators and told me that the majority do have obvious escape hatches. And while opening the door usually triggers a safety shutdown on the car, it is unlikely to operate on the adjacent cars. on the The technical aspects of this story are valid.

Agree? Distrust the Elevator story?
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