Current Date: 16 Aug, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Elvita Adams jumps from the Empire State Building and amazingly survived

Elvita Adams once tried to commit suicide by jumping off the empire state building. She Jumped from the 86th floor but was blown back to 85th floor by a strong gust of wind.

Elvita Adams made the decision to end her life on December 2, 1979.

The 29-year-old Bronx woman was reportedly living on $100 welfare checks after losing her job. Her landlord was threatening to evict her and her 10-year-old son because she couldn’t pay the rent. So, depressed and unsure of what to do, she ended up on top of the Empire State Building.

Elvita Adams jumps from the Empire State Building And Those Before Her

The 102-story midtown Manhattan structure is well-known throughout the world. It was finished in 1931. Elvita Adams wasn’t the first person to decide to jump from the Empire State Building, despite her height of 1,250 feet. The renowned skyscraper in New York City has been the site of over 30 successful suicide attempts. The first occurred in 1931, even before the building was finished, when a fired man leaped from the 58th story.

Elvita Adams jumps from the Empire State Building 1
Evelyn McHale’s body on top of the limousine she landed on. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The tragic tale of Evelyn McHale, who landed atop a limousine while wearing gloves and pearls, earned her the moniker “the most beautiful suicide.” The image of McHale’s 1947 leap, taken by a photography student, went viral and was featured in Time magazine as well as artwork by Andy Warhol.

However, since Elvita Adam’s suicide was the first and “most beautiful,” it would go unnoticed. It would stick in people’s memories because, in spite of the leap, nothing happened.

Adams had wandered over from the Bronx to Manhattan on that Sunday evening in early December just to see the lights.

She is cited as remarking afterwards, “I wanted to reach out and touch them because they were so pretty.” Adams leaped over the fence surrounding the 86th floor observation platform of the building. But something amazing happened, so she would never find death.

Although wind isn’t usually considered miraculous, Elvita Adam’s body was blown back by an extraordinary gust of wind, landing her just one flight down. The wind speed on that particular day was reported to have been between 23 and 38 mph. Adams leaped to the 85th floor and landed on a ledge that was 2.5 feet below the surface.

Adams was reportedly moaning when security officer Frank Clark heard her and reached out of the floor window to pull her in. After that, she was brought to Bellvue Hospital in excruciating pain, possibly from a fractured hip or pelvis. Following her treatment, a hospital representative stated that she was in “satisfactory condition” and she was put under psychiatric observation.

Related Topic You Might Find Interesting:

After The Fall

Elvita Adams is quoted as saying, “I’m not sure if the wind pushed me back, or pushed me off,” and “All I remember is the pain, I was in so much pain that I wasn’t afraid,” in the wake of the incident from the hospital.

As she had to climb over the fence, it was more than likely a suicide attempt, according to a police officer named Joseph Bay, who made this statement in an article that appeared in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, the local newspaper in New York, the next day.

What transpired to Evita Adams after her rescue is unknown. Many years later, in 2011, the one-woman play I’ve Been Elvita Adams was produced. The off-beat play speculates off the idea that, after her attempt to end her life, Adams went on to become a standup comic.

It was probably not the case. But perhaps with a helping hand from the serendipitous encounter and a fresh outlook, Elvita Adams managed to get the assistance she required.

Similar Stories
How hero parrot saved little girl who was choking on her breakfast

How hero parrot saved little girl who was choking on her breakfast

In 2008 Quaker parrot Willie alerted his owner Megan Howard when the little girl she was babysitting began to choke. Howard was in the bathroom when the parrot repeatedly yelled "Mama! Baby!" flapping his wings. Megan rushed and performed the Heimlich maneuver, saving her life. Willie received the Red Cross Animal Lifesaver Award.

China Weather Control on 2008 Olympics with missile

China Weather Control on 2008 Olympics with missile

One thing is certain: when it comes to ensuring nice weather for the world's largest party, the Chinese cannot be accused of being subtle. The Chinese government authorized the use of 1,104 cloud seeding missile launches from 4:00-11:39 p.m. on Friday night to reduce the possibility of rain ahead of the 29th Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing

The Crystal Maiden of the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave

The Crystal Maiden of the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave

Located in Belize, there is a cave where the remnants of ancient Maya human sacrifices can be witnessed. However, reaching the back of the cave system requires swimming, wading through a cave river, and crawling through narrow, uneven rocky passages in darkness. Once there, visitors can walk among the numerous corpses of sacrifice victims, including The Crystal Maiden, an 18-year-old whose skeleton has become calcified to the point of sparkling.

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim

A 24-year-old knife-wielding burglar attempted to get into the home of a 72-year-old senior in Oxford, England, in 2009, but was left battered, bruised, and pinned to the ground. Frank Corti, the elderly, turned out to be a former boxing champion.

Leo Grand: from homeless to mobile app developer

Leo Grand: from homeless to mobile app developer

In 2013, A young programmer offered a homeless man the choice between $100 cash or coding lessons. Leo Grand chose the lessons, and his first mobile app was “Trees for Cars," which helps drivers find carpooling partners.

Water park in japan, ocean dome: Largest indoor water park in the world

Water park in japan, ocean dome: Largest indoor water park in the world

The Seagaia Ocean Dome, located in Miyazaki, Japan, was the biggest indoor waterpark in the world. An "Ocean" six times the size of an Olympic pool, filled with 13,500 tons of unsalted, chlorinated water kept heated at 28 degrees Celsius and recognized as the largest simulated pool by the Guinness Book of World Records, measures 12,000 square meters of the sandy beach made from 600 tons of stone.

Couple reunites after 60 years apart

Couple reunites after 60 years apart

A Russian couple were reunited after being separated for 60 years. They were married for 3 days when the husband left to join the Red Army. They were unable to find each other until 60 years later when they randomly visited their hometown on the same day.

Abraham Crijnssen – The Ship That Disguised Itself As An Island

Abraham Crijnssen – The Ship That Disguised Itself As An Island

During World War II a Dutch minesweeper evaded the Japanese for eight days disguised as an island. The crew covered the decks in cut trees and painted exposed surfaces to look like rocks. They moved only at night and anchored closed to shore by day, eventually escaping to Australia.

ILOVEYOU Virus, the worst computer virus of all time

ILOVEYOU Virus, the worst computer virus of all time

The ILOVEYOU Virus, also known as Love Letter for You or Love Bug, had a high infection rate due to its ability to spread itself by copying entries from users' email address books. It is a virus that was created in 2000 by a college student in Manilla, Philippines, and was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the worst computer virus of all time, causing more damage than anything before it.