Former Mets pitcher survives Venezuela hotel collapse after elevator malfunction

A former Major League Baseball pitcher escaped a collapsing hotel during two earthquakes in Venezuela after an elevator took him to the lobby instead of his floor. Jenrry Mejia said he had just finished working out at the Hotel Eduards in La Guaira when the elevator malfunctioned.

Instead of ascending to the sixth floor where his room was located, the elevator descended to the basement level, allowing him to exit into the lobby. Mejia helped an older man leave the building and believes the two were the only survivors from the hotel.

He told a Dominican radio station that the remaining guests remain trapped under rubble.

Hotel hosted baseball team families The hotel was hosting families of players and staff from the Delfines and Guerreros de Lara baseball teams, according to local reports cited by the New York Post. Relatives of former MLB players Eliezer Alfonso and Gorkys Hernández are among those reported missing.

career and suspensions Mejia pitched parts of five seasons for the New York Mets and served as their closer in 2014. He received an 80-game suspension in 2015 for his first performance-enhancing drug violation, followed by a 162-game suspension after testing positive again.

A third positive test in February 2016 resulted in a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball. He later received reinstatement but has not returned to the major leagues, though he played minor-league ball for the Boston Red Sox organization. The earthquakes struck during a Venezuelan baseball game, prompting players and fans to flee the stadium.

Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic earlier this year. The death toll has risen to 589, with thousands reported missing.