Girl, 12, survives falling 35 FEET down an elevator shaft in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood and is being treated for serious injuries

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Girl, 12, survives falling 35 FEET down an elevator shaft in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and is being treated for serious injuries
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The accident happened Friday afternoon just before 3 p.m.at 41 Crosby street
The Fire Department of New York says the girl, whose name is not released, fell from the lobby of the building into the freight elevator pit
The girl is being treated for serious injuries including those affecting her arm and shoulder

By Alexandra Klausner and Associated Press

PUBLISHED: 14:48 EST, 22 March 2014 | UPDATED: 16:10 EST, 22 March 2014

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A 12-year-old girl who plunged 35 feet into the elevator shaft of a New York City apartment building has survived with serious injuries.

The accident happened Friday afternoon just before 3 p.m. in the Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo at 41 Crosby street.

The Fire Department of New York says the girl, whose name is not released, fell from the lobby of the building into the elevator pit.

A 12-year-old girl was seriously injured on Friday when she fell about 35 feet down an elevator shaft at 41 Crosby Street (pictured here)

Witness Ahmed Aly determined the girl was alive, was able to speak to her, and contacted police and firefighters to come to her immediate rescue

She suffered multiple injuries including injuries to her arm and her shoulder and is in serious condition at Bellevue Hospital Center.

Fire spokesman Khalid Baylor tells The New York Times that firefighters and medical technicians pried open the elevator doors in the sub-basement to reach her and hoist her up in a basket.

The elevator apparently had been out of service at the time of the accident.

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It wasn't immediately clear whether the girl lived in the building. reported CBS.

The New York Times reports thats Ahmed Aly, 33, a security manager at the clothing store Topshop was on his Friday lunch break when he saw the girl's nanny near the entrance of the elevators shaft who said the girl had fallen down.

'I thought she was dead,' Aly told the New York Times.

'I used my phone to show her someone was there . . . I asked her, ‘Are you OK? Are you alive?’he told The New York Post.

He heard the girl crying and quickly realized that she was alive.

Firefighters arrived quickly on the scene and were able to rescue the girl with a basket

Recherche Realty Inc., the group responsible for the elevator, was once fined $250 for failing to keep it up to code in the building but later paid the fine and allegedly 'fixed the problem'

Aly used the intercom to alert others not to use the elevator for fear it would crush her. Witnesses also rang doorbells to head the warning.

Witnesses called 911 and firefighters arrived in a matter of minutes, reports The New York Post.

Aly told the girl, 'You hear the firefighters? They’re here for you. Don’t panic. Don’t move.'

'OK, OK, OK,' the girl said.

The mother arrived and broke into tears.

'The mother was so scared,' said Aly

Recherche Realty Inc., the group responsible for the elevator, was fined $250 for failing to keep it up to code in the building, according to Buildings Department records.

The firm later paid the fine and allegedly corrected the problem.

Recherche Reality Inc. was not available for comment.

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Rock Guitar, New York, 2 hours ago

I am just glad she is alive!!!! Praying for a full recovery.

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girl, DC, United States, 7 hours ago

How the hell did that happen?

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JonnyD, London England., United Kingdom, 7 hours ago

Prayers for a swift recovery!

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Brooke, EastCoast US, United States, 7 hours ago

Incomplete information. How on earth did she fall into an empty elevator shaft? Pry open the doors? Doors opened and the elevator wasn't there? What happened? Seems like this information would be available for reporting! Hope she has a quick recovery!

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Jess, Somewhere, United States, 1 hour ago

I'm wondering if she pressed the button for the elevator and the doors opened, but the elevator itself did not arrive on her floor? Poor thing probably walked right into the empty space without looking, expecting that the elevator was just there.