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Jesse Spencer caught up in elevator drama

Written by . Published: April 03 2014

TV firefighter Jesse Spencer turned real-life hero on Sunday (30Mar14) when he and a group of tourists found themselves trapped in an elevator.


The Chicago Fire star was touring the Illinois State Capitol building with his parents when they found themselves stuck.


Reports suggest the Australian actor helped calm everyone's nerves in the elevator, then he and another man pried open the doors of the elevator long enough so a call to emergency services could be made.


Minutes later real Springfield, Illinois firefighters arrived on the scene and helped free the trapped tourists, who had been stuck for more than 45 minutes.


The former House star tells the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, "People started to freak out. It was getting so hot. It's claustrophobic. One poor girl had a fear of being trapped in elevators.


"Eventually, I managed to get the doors open so we could get air in... It relieved the tension. I took turns getting people that were freaking out over near the door. I didn't want them sticking their heads out in case the elevator took off again."


A fire department spokesman has praised Spencer for keeping the trapped tourists calm and for his efforts in making the emergency call.


The representative says, "I think he knew that the fire department should be the one who should be called."


Spencer took to Twitter.com on Tuesday (01Apr14) to post a photo of himself posing with his rescuers and wrote, "Thanks Springfield FD saved us from an elevator at the Capitol Building. Stuck for an hour, I muscled the doors open."

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