Group trapped in elevator at Jackson Rancheria casino for hours

Tuesday, September 20, 2011  

A group of patrons is upset after being trapped in an elevator at the casino owned by the Jackson Rancheria in California.

Six people were trapped inside on Sunday night for more than two hours. They want to know why casino staff didn't try to remove them from the elevator rather than wait for the problem to be fixed.

But Rich Hoffman, the CEO of the Jackson Rancheria Hotel and Casino, said it's industry practice to fix the elevator first. He also said the equipment failed because it appeared the people in the group were jumping up and down inside the elevator.

“That’s not true. There was no jumping up and down, no hustling and bustling,” Daniel Zmak, who was among those trapped, told The Calaveras Enterprise in response.

The tribe offered the patrons a free hotel night and complimentary breakfast.

Get the Story:
Casino CEO disputes elevator riders’ harrowing tale (The Calaveras Enterprise 9/20)