“ Oliver was working on the 80th story of the building on July 28, 1945. On that day, due to thick fog a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building. The plane struck the 79th floor of the building. Oliver was thrown from her post and badly burned in the accident though she survived while 14 others did not.
When rescuers got to her they decided to lower her via the elevator, unaware that the cables had been weakened to breaking point. Once the elevator doors closed, the cables snapped and Oliver plummeted 75 stories to the basement. Oliver survived but again had to be rescued and was later treated at the hospital for serious injuries. This descent still stands as the Guinness World Record for the longest survived elevator fall ever recorded.
When rescuers got to her they decided to lower her via the elevator, unaware that the cables had been weakened to breaking point. Once the elevator doors closed, the cables snapped and Oliver plummeted 75 stories to the basement. Oliver survived but again had to be rescued and was later treated at the hospital for serious injuries. This descent still stands as the Guinness World Record for the longest survived elevator fall ever recorded.
