Chargers News: Jim Harbaugh reflects on harrowing elevator rescue

Jim Harbaugh has expressed gratitude towards the Dallas Fire-Rescue team for their quick response during a recent incident involving the Los Angeles Chargers . On Friday night, several Chargers players and staff members found themselves trapped in a stuck elevator at the Westin hotel in downtown Dallas, just before their preseason game against the Cowboys.

“We dodged a bullet. I mean, I usually think of dodging a bullet of, you know, dodging an injury in football,” Harbaugh said via USA Today . “But, I mean, it was a shared experience. Eleven or 12 of our players were there for about two hours, and that's a shared experience. I mean, brought them closer together. I just missed it, you know, being on that elevator, and it's like, I wish I could have been there with those guys.”

The situation involved 15 individuals who were stuck in the elevator for about two hours. Firefighters discovered the elevator lodged in a "blind shaft" between the third and fifteenth floors. The rescue team efficiently assisted each person out through the ceiling panel and into an adjacent elevator.

Among those trapped was quarterback Justin Herbert, who played a key role in keeping everyone calm during the ordeal. Harbaugh noted the experience brought the team closer together, highlighting the importance of teamwork in challenging situations.

“The remarkable things that came out of it was, you know, to a guy, (Chargers cornerback) Tarheeb Still, a young rookie player is like ‘Justin Herbert's a leader. He was a rock, you know, kept everybody calm.’”

“Everybody kept their poise. And, you know, get in those situations, and it's a test of wills, you know. And I was proud of each of the guys and the two women that were on that elevator,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, that's that. That's a win, you know, you feel good about yourself. You got it. You were challenged. And it was a test of will.”

Related: Chargers News: Drama Unfolds as Chargers are Rescued from Elevator Before Cowboys Matchup

Following the incident, Harbaugh invited the Dallas Fire-Rescue team to attend the Chargers’ preseason game, acknowledging their crucial role in ensuring everyone's safety. The coach emphasized the professionalism and effectiveness of the firefighters, noting that the outcome could have been much worse without their intervention.

“Yeah, oh my gosh, Dallas, the Dallas fire department. Take a deep, long bow. You know, I said at one point it's like, this is Dallas' finest,” Harbaugh said. “Without the Dallas fire department that … could have been a lot worse. It would have been a lot more hours, who knows how it would end? But I mean, those guys were great.”