Freed NYPD man locked in the vault of a jewelry store in New York’s diamond district for NINE HOURS after workers locked the doors behind him when he tried to access the safe
- The unknown man had access to his locker in the World Diamond Tower
New York police had to rescue an innocent man who was locked in one of the vaults of a jewelry store in the Diamond District for nine hours.
The unidentified 23-year-old customer was accessing his locker at the World Diamond Tower when workers unknowingly closed the door behind him.
According to officials, the man was locked up around 8:45 p.m. last night and was finally released around 6 a.m. today.
The safe, located in the basement of the building, has a door that works on a timer – that is, it cannot be opened before the time set during installation.
New York police had to rescue an innocent man who was locked in one of the vaults of a jewelry store in the Diamond District for nine hours
No employee or official can override the system. The vault is a “community vault” and is owned by DGA Security as there are several businesses located in the tower.
FDNY official John Sarrocco explained: “When the vault was closed, there was a customer in the vault.” Once it is closed, it runs on a time mechanism. “This safe will not be reopened until a certain amount of time has passed.”
When the door locked for security reasons and the man realized he was stuck, he dialed 911. Within minutes, there was a huge rescue operation on the ground.
First responders attempted to break through the vault’s concrete wall but stopped when they encountered metal plating.
Subsequently, the officers unanimously decided to wait until the door opened in the morning before releasing the customer.
Department manager John Hodgens: “The problem with the coating is that we would have to use our flashlights there, which would infect the environment of the person in the vault.”
“Sometime this morning, around 6:15 a.m., the safe opened on its own and the customer was released.”
Officials confirmed that the man in the vault had sufficient oxygen and did not suffer any physical injuries
He was communicated with via a telephone system and his condition was monitored via video throughout.
Firefighters had also run a hose into the building’s basement to keep dust out and cool tools to prevent damage to the vault.
After his release, the man was checked by emergency services on site and released.