OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury woman this week related a harrowing story of her special needs son stuck in a resort hotel elevator for several hours in August as she made an impassioned plea for an ordinance to require cameras in elevators.
Salisbury resident Michelle Ben appeared before the Mayor and Council during the public comment period of Monday’s meeting and related the story of her autistic son, David, being stuck in an elevator in August and how her non-verbal son continued to hit the call button to no avail. After several hours, Ben was able to reach out to the child from the front desk via the elevator phone and first-responders were able to find him.
Ben said she checked into the north-end hotel on Aug. 19 with her twin sons, David and Adam, the first of which was autistic. Around 10:30 p.m. that night, a frantic search ensued for her special needs child.
“My son and I searched for David for about 40 minutes and we could not find him,” she said. “We went to the front desk to ask for help. For about 90 minutes, which is a long time when you’re looking for a child and your stomach is in your throat, me and my other son, the hotel manager, the hotel security guard and two police officers searched for David but we could not find him.”
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6 comments:
Okay I'll say sure why not but now let's look at HOW did she lose her son in the first place? Especially considering his condition
Another stupid idea because someone panics.
First as 4:14 states how did she lose her son in the first place.
Second why didn't the hotel people, the family and the front desk people put 2 and 2 together and figure out that the elevator call button and the missing child might be related.
Third elevators don't generally just get stuck between floors on their own. They generally get stuck because someone is jumping up and down in the elevator or pushing the buttons multiple times while it is moving.
Of course OC being the family friendly resort(not) that is is will probably end up requiring cameras.
5:36....actually, cameras in an elevator will only result in property damage....I work in OC and the mentality of 40 to 50 percent of the visitors is rowdy and defiant....you put up cameras and some wanna be tuff guy will tear it down....She was not paying attention to her child....reason he turned up missing...
uuuhhh, no to camera's. Maybe mom needs to brush up on her parenting and STOP blaming everyone else.
Ok so you put cameras in the elevators, who is going to sit there and watch the camera? And who is going to monitor the elevator monitor? The problem arises from two things: First,and foremost is how do you lose track of your child, a special needs child at that. And secondly it is a lack building management to properly inspect the elevator call button and phone for proper operation on a weekly or monthly basis!
8:39 According to the article the phone and call button were working. When the front desk answered the phone the boy wasn't talking. As I said before someone should have put together the fact of the missing child and the fact of the elevator call button being pushed and figured out what was going on.
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