Several Los Angeles Chargers players and other members of the traveling party crawled through a ceiling panel to escape a stuck hotel elevator in Dallas on Friday night.
In a social media post, the Chargers said Dallas Fire-Rescue helped the people in the elevator “one at a time” through the ceiling panel into an adjacent elevator at around 7:30 p.m. local time.
“The Los Angeles Chargers thank Dallas Fire-Rescue for their quick response, professionalism and significant efforts to ensure the safety of everyone,” the team said.
WFAA.com, citing Dallas Fire-Rescue, reported that the elevator was stuck in a “dead shaft” between the third and 15th floors of the Westin hotel in downtown Dallas. A technician was unable to get the elevator running again, so DFR sent its Urban Search and Rescue team to the hotel.
According to WFAA, a total of about 15 people were involved in the incident. It was initially unclear which Chargers players were trapped.
A source told ESPN’s Kris Rhim that Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh invited all Dallas Fire-Rescue employees to eat in the team dining room after the incident.
The Chargers will close the preseason on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Los Angeles will open the regular season at home on Sept. 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
This report uses information from the Associated Press.
