More Than 24 Hours Later, People Stranded Underground at Grand Canyon Caverns Rescued

Five people who were stranded about 21 stories underground at Grand Canyon Caverns following an elevator malfunction have been rescued, Arizona officials announced.

The group was stuck at the attraction for about 24 to 30 hours and were rescued Monday, Oct. 24 around 7:30 p.m. local time by a search and rescue team, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson John Paxton told NBC News.

The team used a tripod apparatus with a rope that fed down the elevator shaft to hoist the party up 210 feet to the surface in Peach Springs, Arizona.

Paxton noted there were no injuries.

The elevator malfunction was discovered at about sundown on Oct. 23, and the group was unable to use a stairway system described to be similar to an old, external fire escape, Paxton said.

Earlier on Oct. 24, attempts to fix the elevator by hooking it up to an external generator were unsuccessful, Paxton previously said. The issue, which was being handled by elevator repair personnel, may have been mechanical, he said.

Despite being stranded, the group was safe and had food as they awaited rescue as there is a small hotel with a restaurant at the bottom of the cavern.

The group was put up for the night by the hotelkeepers, officials said Oct. 24. “I’m sure, they made sure they were as comfortable as possible,” Paxton said Oct. 25.

The suite lists for $1,000 a night for two.

He said in his 30 years with the sheriff’s office, this incident was unlike any other.

“I’ve never taken a call like this before,” he said.

“It’s just an unfortunate malfunction. I’m glad everybody is out safe and sound,” he said.

The natural limestone caverns, said to be the largest dry caverns in the U.S., occupy a desert region southwest of Grand Canyon National Park about 110 miles from the California border.

This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com