Elevator Falls 1,000 Feet: Woman Avoids Death Twice in One Day
Betty Lou Oliver lived through a plane crash and an elevator fall!
On the 28th of July 1945, Betty Lou Oliver was operating the elevator at the Empire State Building in New York City, New York. Although her day started as usual, by the end it would be anything but. The 20-year-old had no idea what she would be faced with. Against all odds, she lived through two separate death-defying incidents and lived to tell the tale.
It is said that July 28th was scheduled to be her last day on the job.
Betty was on the 80th story when a B-25 was headed straight for her. The service bomber had been transporting servicemen to LaGuardia Airport. Captain William Smith was a very knowledgeable pilot, but a thick, heavy fog was making visibility nearly impossible. The pilot became extremely disorientated and took a wrong turn: straight for the Empire State Building.
The airplane crashed into the building, hitting the 79th floor, just below Betty’s post. Flames engulfed the 79th floor and chaos ensued. Employees frantically searched for ways out of the disaster. Betty was thrown through the air and scorched by the heat and flames from the impact.
