Elderly Man Found Dead In Elevator 1 Month After Pressing Alarm Button
Denver CO Aug 14 2017 A missing elderly man was found dead inside an elevator—a month after he pressed the emergency alarm.
The body of Isaak Komisarchik, 82, was found in an apartment complex’s elevator in Denver, reported the Denver Post. He had reportedly been missing since July 5— his family said he suffered from dementia.
On July 6, he had pressed the elevator alarm twice, police investigating his death told ABC 7.
Officials are investigating why no one responded to his death. His body was found at the Woodstream Village apartments, 10050 East Harvard Avenue, on July 31.
“Something is not right,” Denver Fire Department spokesman Capt. Greg Pixley was quoted by the Denver Post as saying. The alarm was recorded twice but officials never got the call.
Denver Fire was never told by complex officials that the elevator was taken out of service, the paper reported.
Police spokesman Doug Schepman told CNN: “The pushing of the call button did trigger a notification to the elevator management company, MEI Total Elevator Solutions. The elevator management company then notified the apartment managers, Greystar Management Services.”
“Staff did check two elevators in response to the notification but not the inoperable elevator, in which his body was found,” he said.
Crews conducted an inspection of the elevator in December 2016.
Tenants of the building, meanwhile, told the paper that the elevator wasn’t working, complaining of a bad smell, which ultimately led to the discovery of his body, ABC7 reported.
MEI Total Elevator Solutions, the firm that monitors the elevator, told ABC7: “We are saddened by the tragic loss of life and extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Komisarchik’s family and friends. The elevator cab where he was found is located in a parking garage that is under renovation construction and not currently in active use. We are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident with the local authorities.”
Komisarchik was last spotted wearing pajamas at 2:30 p.m. on July 5 at a nearby nursing facility, the Post reported. A widespread search was then initiated, and missing persons posters were put up around the city.
“He actually walked to the mailbox to pick up the mail and to the office to get some things from there and then he just disappeared,” said his daughter, Yelena, 9News reported. “He couldn’t take long walks. He physically couldn’t do that,” Yelena added. “He could’ve gotten disoriented at times,” she said.
Denver Medical Examiner spokesman Steven Castro said the cause of his death is undetermined, citing the fact that his body was found badly decomposed.
