Published on: May 14, 2026, at 12:44 PM.

Updated on: May 14, 2026, at 12:55 PM.

• A group of 17 tourists found themselves trapped for about an hour in a Rio Las Vegas elevator that fell at least a foot before stopping below the lobby level
• Among the trapped individuals were a pregnant woman and a person experiencing a panic attack, who ultimately had to reach out to the fire department after the hotel allegedly failed to respond
• A video of the incident went viral following coverage by Inside Edition.

A party of 17 tourists certainly did not receive the elevated experience they were hoping for in Las Vegas this month. Instead, they found themselves stuck in an elevator at the Rio after it dropped at least a foot below the lobby. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, but according to Melissa Elcio, the group was trapped “for over an hour,” with the heat increasing inside the elevator.

“There was no ventilation,” the nurse from Arizona shared in her Instagram update dated May 3, 2026. “We had to crack the door open just to get some air.”

Initially, Elcio’s video did not attract much attention until it gained traction after being featured on the show, Inside Edition, on May 13.

“At first, it was just an inconvenience, but it quickly turned frightening,” Elcio recounted during her interview with the syndicated tabloid news program. “The elevator stopped, and then suddenly, it dropped, probably two to three feet. It was quite disorienting.”

Elcio stated that the hotel staff exhibited “no urgency” in their response, requiring the group—comprised of a pregnant woman and someone suffering from a panic attack—to contact the fire department themselves for assistance.

“Security informed us that the fire department was alerted,” Elcio explained to Inside Edition. “When we checked in with the fire department for an estimated arrival time, they revealed they hadn’t received any call from the hotel.”

As reported by Inside Edition, the tourists endured being stuck for 55 minutes.

Casino.org has reached out to Rio’s management for a statement and will provide updates should a response be made.

Tourists in Peril

Elcio’s footage opens with a view of the cramped elevator filled with passengers—each dressed for an evening on the Strip—who were ringing the alarm and shouting for help. The scene then cuts to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue personnel prying open the elevator doors from the lobby area. Since the elevator had halted roughly a foot below the exit, firefighters assisted each individual in stepping to safety.

“Watch your head,” cautioned one firefighter, as the top of the elevator opening was now lowered about a foot. “No one’s injured yet, but if anyone acts up, someone could get hurt.”

After their rescue, Elcio observed that “multiple other elevators in the hotel were also non-operational.”

“Incidents happen, but this seemed like part of a much larger issue than just a single elevator malfunction,” she noted.

The Rio—an off-Strip resort developed by Caesars and now run by Dreamscape Companies—has been undergoing lengthy renovations, which include room restorations and improvements to the casino floor.

Online reactions were predictably harsh. Most of the 112 comments on X-based news outlet Las Vegas Locally’s May 14 post, which racked up over 145,000 views, poked fun at the Rio’s long-standing maintenance problems.

One user, @genefuss, delivered the most cutting remark: “There were 17 people at Rio at one time?”