2 residents seek medical attention for hot temps at Columbia senior high rise

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Seniors at a high-rise senior living facility in Columbia were suffering from the heat after their air conditioning was out for several days.

On Monday, the system that cools all of Christopher Towers on Devine Street went out. Until the Fourth of July, as many as 95 of the building’s tenants had been staying in hotels to cool off.

The company that manages Christopher Towers management company brought in a mobile chiller on Wednesday night.

But as recently as Friday, some tenants claimed their apartments still hadn’t cooled down, and at least 2 resident said they sought medical attention after feeling lightheaded and disoriented.

WIS News 10 spoke with one woman with asthma who described what it was like getting back to her apartment Thursday.

“My chest felt very heavy, and I had a hard time breathing, so I turned my fan on to at least circulate the air,” said resident Sandra Tobin.

WIS went to the complex on Saturday and saw thermostats ranging from 70 degrees to 78 degrees.

The management company said there’s no timeline on when the main system could be fixed.

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