Grand Canyon Caverns.Photo: Alamy Stock Photo
Five tourists have been rescued after being stranded underground at the Grand Canyon Caverns in Arizona.
By Monday night, “all subjects were safely removed” and “were all in good condition,” Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jon Paxton tells PEOPLE on Tuesday morning.
The tourists got stranded about 21 stories underground on Sunday after an elevator “stopped working,” Paxton previously toldCNN. The issue was discovered after the group tried to leave the attraction, which features some of the largest dry caverns in the country, according toABC News.
Although are about 21 flights of stairs and a series of ladders and platforms leading to the top, Paxton told CNN that some members of the group were unable to physically make the climb.
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Officials initially believed the elevator malfunction was due to an electrical issue, but later determined it was a “mechanical problem,” Paxton told CNN.
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“I can’t say thank you enough because they did everything so professionally, so safe,” Jimenez told the outlet.
Grand Canyon Caverns.Alamy Stock Photo
While the group was trapped underground, theywere able to stay at a motellocated inside the tourist attraction.
“The Cavern put the people up in a motel, and there is a small restaurant at the bottom, and the motel is working to make the people as comfortable as possible while they are down there,” Paxton told CNN.
The underground “Cavern Suite” can house up to six guests and “is equipped with a fully functioning RV style bathroom, a kitchenette with microwave [and] a small refrigerator, as well as a library of books, DVDs and a television,” according to theGrand Canyon Caverns website.
A reservation for two costs $1,000 a night, with an extra $100 per person.
source: people.com
