Man rescued after falling down elevator shaft in abandoned building

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a man fell approximately 8 to 12 feet down an elevator shaft in an abandoned building on River Avenue. The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 12, 2026, when first responders received reports of the fall. Upon arrival, emergency medical services (EMS) crews discovered the man trapped at the bottom of the shaft, where he had been for about six hours without light or ventilation. His leg was pinned, and he was conscious but in need of immediate medical attention. Medics provided him with fluids and pain control medication before using a victim harness to hoist him out of the shaft. He was subsequently transported to a hospital in stable condition, although he sustained multiple leg fractures. Pittsburgh EMS District Chief Mike Rogers noted that the man was fortunate to be alive, given the circumstances of his entrapment. The building, identified as the abandoned Microsoft building, is not frequented by the public, which raised concerns about how long the man might have remained undiscovered had it not been for the timely call to 911. It remains unclear what the man was doing in the building, but it is believed he was with two other individuals who fled the scene after the fall. The incident prompted inspectors from the Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections to evaluate the safety of the abandoned structure, highlighting the potential dangers posed by such neglected properties in urban areas.