Betty Lou Oliver

Betty Lou Oliver is best known as the 1940s elevator attendant for the Empire State Building who survived two horrific accidents simultaneously on the same day.

First accident

Oliver was working on the 80th story of the building on July 28, 1945. On that day, William F. Smith, Jr. crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building in a B-25 Mitchell bomber. 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. [cite news | url=http://www.esbnyc.com/tourism/tourism_facts_esbnews_mar1996.cfm | title = ESB in the News | publisher = Elevator World | first = William | last = Roberts | date = 1996-03]

Second accident

When rescuers got to her they decided to lower her via the elevator. What the rescuers did not know is that the cables had been weakened to breaking point. Once the elevator doors closed the cables snapped and Oliver plummeted 75 stories. [cite news | url=http://www.gloriapall.com/empireb25.pdf | title = The day a B-25 Bomber crashed into the Empire State Building | publisher = Van Nuys Aviation & Business Journal| first = Gloria | last = Pall | date = 2001-07] 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. [cite news | url=http://www.firehistory.org/history-1900.htm | title = Timeline | publisher = Firehistory.org | first = Grant | last = Mishoe | date = 2008]

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