Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Warnings over new lift surfer kid craze
Copying YouTubers is risking lives
CHILDREN as young as 10 are putting their lives at risk by surfing on top of lifts in a deadly summer craze.
They follow video guides on YouTube and buy keys online to gain access to lift roofs and emergency controls.
Concerned firefighters last night warned lift surfing was “incredibly dangerous and potentially life-threatening”.
One YouTuber, who we are not naming, has 40,000 subscribers and has posted 3,500 videos telling followers how to “surf lifts”.
And in one clip, a child aged around 11 shows off how he got access to the shaft.
He tells viewers: “Today we’ll be talking about my new triangle key which I’ve just bought. It’s used for lift surfing.
“I hope you love going on top of lifts because that’s going to be our new thing.”
He then films himself trying to access a car park lift in Ashford, Kent, before confessing: “The lift has got stuck. It won’t move”.
In another video, a teenager reveals how he only stopped when an “old lady” asked him if the lift was broken.
He adds: “I would have done
It is putting children at risk of serious injuries FIRE CHIEF COUNCIL’S MARK HARDINGHAM
more lift surfing if I wouldn’t have gotten caught.”
Other footage on the platform includes thrill-seekers filming themselves lift surfing in Southend, Essex, and tampering with controls.
Campaigners warned the videos were “glorifying dangerous activities”.
Nick Mellor from the Lift and Escalator Industry Association, said surfers risked falling from height, electrocution and being struck by counterweights.
He said: “The problem has grown in recent years as videos posted on social media have gained popularity.
“We have complained to YouTube about some videos we have seen but with no effect.”
Mark Hardingham, of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said he was worried kids were using lift shafts “as play areas”. He added: “Not only is this putting children at risk of serious or life-changing injuries, it could also take firefighters and other services away from other life-saving activities.”
YouTube was approached for comment.