According to the Press of Atlantic City, an Englishman allegedly dangled 40 feet in the air after his clothing became caught in an escalator at the Revel Resort and Hotel on August 24, 2012. A lawsuit seeking $75,000 in damages alleges that the victim, Mr. Christopher Eades, who was a guest at the time of the incident, was standing near the escalator on the second floor when part of his clothing became caught in the ascending handrail. The lawsuit goes on to say the victim “was suddenly and precipitously pulled over the railing of the area in which he was then and there standing.” Bystanders eventually rescued the victim, who was then treated for a fractured left leg and knee, in addition to other minor injuries. Court records indicate that the case has been referred to arbitration, and a representative of the resort, which is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, declined to comment.
The victim’s lawyer was quoted as saying “Revel resort features a huge atrium called the Ellipse which features a soaring double escalator intended to dramatically, as if in mid-air, whisk the clientele from the lobby floor to a mezzanine platform. These soaring escalators were intended as a fantasy aerial lift, which seemed to defy the laws of physics but have turned out, in reality, to have failed its ambitious purpose, becoming instead, a dangerous mechanism for physical injury.” Read the full story published March 28, 2013.
This incident re-iterates the importance of paying careful attention when riding on and standing near moving equipment such as escalators and moving walks. Generally, there are no safety devices which would stop the escalator in the event that fabric became entrapped in the handrail. Escalator handrails generally provide a good amount of friction because they are intended to be gripped by riders. However, because they often exhibit such high friction, they can entrap clothing or body parts.
In addition, the subject escalators in this incident have been noted by observers for their unusually high landings. The escalators referenced in this article criss-cross an open atrium up to a height of over 120 feet. Interestingly, the balustrade (handrail) heights on the escalators are at least six inches lower than the balustrades at the landing, which is an unusual inconsistency between typical building codes and elevator codes.