The relief was palpable as nine people were rescued after 45 minutes stuck in a broken lift in Dunedin's Burns House this afternoon.
What started as a Fire Service call out when burnt toast set off an alarm in the George St building turned into a rescue operation.
When nine people packed into the lift following an all clear from the alarm, the lift malfunctioned.
Firefighters exhausted all options to try to winch the sixth floor lift door open.
It would not budge until an Otis lift technician arrived, and the hot and bothered lift occupants got to taste freedom about 4.30pm after being stuck for 45 minutes.
Octagon Dental Suite dental technician Libby Shepherd was full of relief and embraced Willowbank Station officer Brent Key as she exited the lift.
Ms Shepherd, who was shaking, said her worst fear was the lift would drop six floors down to the ground floor.
People in the back of the lift were "pretty sweaty'' and the walls were covered in condensation by the time they left.
There was genuine fear in the lift, but they got through it by making jokes, she said.
Finally getting out the lift was the "best feeling ever''.
"I've never been so happy to see someone before and I'll never be taking the lift again.
"I'm on the seventh floor, but it's OK.''
Walking up the stairs would be good for her fitness.
"It will be good for my butt.''
Mr Key said it was worth wrecking the lift a little bit to rescue the occupants.
"They needed some fresh air in there.
"We sensed that a couple of them were uncomfortable, so that was the reason we tried to get the door open as far as we could,'' he said.
Once firefighters got the door open enough they offered the occupants water.
It was only after the Otis technician arrived that firefighters learnt the internal lift door needed to close before the outside door on the sixth floor would open.
"It was a new experience for all of us.''
Lift rescues were not common in Dunedin, but they would be better equipped for next time.
