If he saw the elevator was slowly going down... why did he try to get out? You stay in the elevator and ride it down, ring the bell and wait for the fire department to come and get you.
I bet they're going to fix the issue now.
Easier said than done. Not everyone is as sharp as getbiggers and make the correct decision in every circumstance.
People misjudge, assume wrong, miscalculate opportunities, which can lead to a wrong decision. Happens probably billions of times in every day life, except for getbiggers, of course.