Broken elevator at apartment complex leaves elderly residents stranded inside

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The sole elevator inside the Woods of Savannah apartment complex has been out of service since Saturday, which residents said has left several elderly and impaired residents stranded on their floor with no known time of repair.

“I have no way to get out of here,” said resident Mary Lou Bravo, who lives on the third floor of the building and uses a walker. “I feel like a prisoner in my own apartment if the elevator is not working. I can’t get up and down the steps.”

Joey Sims also lives in the building and invited News 3 inside. Although he is well enough to take the stairs, he said that he can’t say the same for some of his neighbors.

“We got people here with heart conditions and lung problems,” said Sims, “and they can’t go down the stairs without getting out of breath. A woman tried this weekend when the elevator was broke down and fell on the stairs.”

Bravo said she has been stranded on her floor for three days and still is.

“Once I found out about the elevator,” said Bravo. “I said there’s no way I can go anywhere. I had to go to the bank today and I couldn’t make it, and here I am just not being able to do anything.”

The residents News 3 spoke with have lived in the building, owned by the Indianapolis based Gene B. Glick Company, for over a decade, and said the elevator has been breaking consistently for the past six months.

“Lately its been consistent, too often for us impaired people,” said Bravo.

They said the only viable solution is to replace the elevator altogether.

“Replace it with a new elevator that’s gonna last,” said Sims.

The residents told News 3 in past experience with elevator breaking, it typically takes anywhere from a day to a week to be repaired.

News 3 reached out to the Gene B. Glick Company for comment but did not receive one before the publication of this article.

WSAV News 3 will update when a response is received, and more information becomes available.