Video footage captured a terrifying moment when floodwater surged into an elevator, trapping a family and a neighbor in an oceanfront condo building. The incident unfolded over the weekend as heavy rain battered South Florida, triggering widespread flooding across Miami Beach.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Rick Sardana, his neighbor Bruno Barros, Barros' 4-year-old daughter Jordana, and an unidentified woman found themselves caught in the elevator at Vendome Place. Surveillance video showed the two men chatting moments before water rushed in, sparking panic among the family. "The elevator shook and then froze," Sardana told NBC6. "Water started to seep in, and water was also coming from the top."
Barros scooped up his daughter as the water rose. Sardana, a seven-year resident of the building, pressed buttons in a desperate bid to free them. When that failed, he pried open the heavy metal door with his fingertips. "I thought maybe today's the day," Barros told WSVN, fearing a wall of water awaited them.
The footage cut off as all four escaped into waist-deep water in the parking garage. "I somehow put my fingers into the elevator," Sardana said. "God knows how we managed to get the door open." They waded through the flooded car park, relieved to be alive.
A Neighbor's Heroism
Barros hailed Sardana's efforts. "She [Jordana] said I was her superhero, but Rick was our superhero," he told NBC6. "God gave him so much power in that moment."
A condo employee later told Sardana the floodwater took just eight minutes to overwhelm the building. The deluge ruined nearly every car in the indoor garage, including Sardana's sports car, which he declared a total loss. Still, he expressed gratitude. "I'm just happy we're OK," he said.
Lasting Impact
It took 24 hours to drain the water from the building. Sardana now avoids the elevator, climbing stairs to his 10th-floor unit instead. "It brings back bad memories," he told NBC6. He urged residents to skip elevators during emergencies. "Never take the elevator when there's flooding or fire," he said. "That's my big lesson."
