Wien Jock, 21 months old, was rescued in dramatic fashion after becoming caught in a lift well in Dandenong. His father Bol Jock (right) managed to grab a hold of Wien's hand, saving him from a six-metre drop. Also pictured is Wien's mum Nyanhial Thok. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun
Mr Jock held on tight to his little boy who was stuck for forty minutes. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun
- Toddler crawled between lift and left well walls
- Father held on to child's hand for forty minutes
- Firefighters said it was a "freak accident"
A RELIEVED father has told how he clung onto his son for up to 40 minutes after the toddler became trapped in an elevator well.
Bol Jock said he was at a community dinner in Dandenong, Victoria, at about 8pm last night when he heard his son's desperate cries for help.
He said at first he did not know what was wrong but soon traced the cries to the elevator.
It is believed the child crawled between the lift and the lift well walls.
Mr Jock said he managed to squeeze his arm between the elevator door and the elevator wall where he felt his son and grabbed on to his hand.
"I kept telling him: Don't let go, just hang on, it will be all right," he said.
Mr Jock said he held on tight for about 40 minutes until his son was finally rescued.
Paramedic Warren Simpson said he was amazed the young boy suffered no injuries.
"He had been holding onto something on the outside of the lift as it moved up and down between floors.
"His father told us that he had heard his son crying and screaming at the top of the lift shaft and at the bottom so there was a real potential for the boy to be injured.
"Once he was freed, we checked him over and thankfully couldn’t find any injuries, pain or discomfort.
"His stomach and his back were covered in grease and dust from the shaft so it must have been a very small area in there where his body was rubbing against the edge and it’s very fortunate that he didn’t get caught on anything.
"It would have been terrifying for him. When we first started to examine him he was very quiet but he became more robust as time went on and was even having a laugh and running around.
"His mum and dad were understandably very shaken by the whole thing.
"Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something like this but to have such a great outcome was just marvellous," Mr Simpson said.
Dandenong station officer John Katakouzinos said when crews arrived at the scene they were still unclear about what was wrong.
He said he could see the toddler's dad reaching into the elevator well and initially thought they were there because he had become stuck.
Mr Katakouzinos said it soon became apparent the man was holding on to the 21-month old boy to stop him from falling about six metres.
He said firefighters still had no idea how the boy came to be in the well.
A firefighter who helped rescue the child said it was a "freak accident".
"He was hanging on with his little left hand, the legs of the child were dangling," he told 3AW.
He said the child’s dad was inside the lift holding on to his son’s hand.
"He called crews from the emergency phone inside the lift," he said.
"We made an assessment and after a quick assessment we decided to actually make a rescue through the manhole of the lift."
He said firefighters formed a "human chain" and were able to pass the child through the chain, through the manhole and to the safety of his dad.
Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Susannah Wilson said paramedics were stunned the child sustained no injuries.
"They are amazed. He was assessed at the scene and taken to hospital as a precaution, but he was fine," she said.
"He did have a bit of grease and metal dust on him though," she said.
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