LEBEC, Calif. — At 6:08 p.m. on January 21, 2025, Kern County Emergency Dispatch received reports of an elevator entrapment. Los Angeles County Fire Department E477 and Paramedic Squad 149 arrived on scene to find a single patient on top of an elevator, approximately twenty feet above ground level. Due to shoulder and head injuries sustained while performing maintenance, the patient was unable to rescue themselves.

Kern County Battalion 5 arrived on scene and took command of the incident. Engine 56 and Engine 57 arrived and were assigned to create access for extrication and help secure the patient for transport. This required the disassembly of the metal siding around the elevator shaft. Once access was achieved, the patient was secured in a stokes basket to be safely moved and lowered from the top of the elevator. Simultaneously, crews below coordinated on-site equipment to facilitate the safe lowering of the patient.

Once on the ground, the patient was carried to an ambulance, which then transported them to a waiting L.A. County helicopter. The helicopter subsequently transported the patient to the nearest hospital for treatment and care.