Trapped in lift for 42 hours in Thiruvanthapuram hospital, man wrote farewell note to family

Man rescued after 42 hours in lift at Kerala hospital, wrote farewell message to family, sparking investigation and suspensions.

The 59-year-old man, who was rescued on Monday morning after being stuck in a lift at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram for 42 hours, said he wrote a farewell message to his family while he was trapped.

Ulloor resident Ravindran Nair, who had been headed for the outpatient department of the hospital when the lift stopped working midway on Saturday at noon, said his arms and legs had begun “losing mobility” after spending extended time in the confined space without food or water.

“I made every effort to escape the lift. I tried to open its doors, but when I managed that, I could see only walls. I hit the wall of the lift in frustration. Later, I was unable to move, my hands and legs were losing mobility, and I had no idea what time it was,” Mr. Nair said in an interview to a news channel on Tuesday.

He added that he used his mobile phone’s torch to write a note to his family. “I was worried that if something happened to me, my children’s education would be affected. I had no water to drink, but I had some poems I had written in my bag, which kept me distracted,” he said.

Mr. Nair was rescued by an operator who had arrived for routine work, according to police.

“I had tried calling all the emergency numbers listed inside the lift, but no one answered. After some time, I understood it was the second Saturday and a Sunday the next day, so I waited for help. When the operator came, I pressed the alarm. We both forcefully opened the door from both sides and I jumped out of the lift,” he said.

Mr. Nair was subsequently admitted to the hospital for a detailed medical examination. His family had on July 14 night filed a missing case with the Medical College police.