Woman stuck in lift gets no help from Aussie operator

File photo / BOP Times

A Christchurch woman who got stuck in a Spotlight store's lift was surprised to discover the emergency phone operator was in Australia - and had no idea where the store was.

Sue Skilton and her mother Desley Armstrong were trapped in the Colombo Street store's lift for about 30 minutes on Sunday, Fairfax Media reported.

When she used the emergency phone, Mrs Skilton thought she was speaking to someone in the store.

She was shocked to find the operator didn't know where the store was, and couldn't trace it using its certification warrant and address.

Spotlight staff overheard Mrs Skilton and managed to pry the doors open.

"The Spotlight staff said the man we were talking to was in Sydney," she said.

"The thing I found interesting was that there was no-one contactable here in New Zealand, and that's a huge concern."

- NZPA