Dark Water at the Cecil: The Elisa Lam Mystery (Cafe Bizarre)
Published on Cafe Bizarre, a PWR Network column.
By Amy (“PWR Network / ParaWomen Radio”)
Content Note
This piece discusses mental illness, accidental drowning and a hotel with a violent history. Please take care of yourself while reading.
The Spark: A Rooftop Tank and a Viral Video
True-crime and high-strange collided again when Elisa Lam, 21, vanished from LA’s Cecil Hotel in 2013. Nineteen days later, guests were gagging on foul-tasting water. A maintenance guy went to the roof and found Elisa in one of the water tanks.
What made this case burn into the internet’s brain isn’t just the tank — it’s that elevator video. Elisa presses every button, hides in the corner, peeks like she’s being followed, then starts moving her hands in weird shapes while the doors won’t shut. Millions of views later, the theories haven’t stopped.
Joining me for this one: Shannon, my co-pilot on Highly Strange Days. 💚
The Threads Everybody’s Pulling On
1) Mental Health Crash
Elisa had bipolar disorder and depression. Her meds were in her system but not at full dose. That can send somebody into hallucinations and paranoia fast.
Why it matters: It’s the simplest explanation for her behavior — but also the saddest.
2) Locked Roof, Unlocked Mystery
The roof was supposed to be alarmed and locked. No alarms went off. Police dogs lost her scent near a window.
Why it matters: That window connects to the fire escape. If she used it, she bypassed the alarm — but it’s still a dangerous climb.
3) The Tank Itself
Heavy lid. Slick sides. No ladder inside. Her clothes and room key were in there with her.
Why it matters: Getting in is hard, getting out is near impossible without help. That’s why people still whisper foul play.
4) Paranormal Overlay
The “elevator game” from Korean forums, hand signs some swore were spells, the Dark Water movie’s girl-in-the-tank plotline — it all piled on.
Why it matters: Without that video, nobody would be saying “haunted.” The tape is the Rorschach.
What We Actually Know (Receipts)
– Elevator footage released by LAPD Feb 2013
– Autopsy: accidental drowning, no trauma, no drugs/alcohol
– Prescription meds present but at sub-prescribed levels
– Roof access codes controlled by staff; fire escape wide open
– Coroner’s report June 2013
Everything else? Still speculation.
Why This Story Still Hits
Because it’s a young woman alone, a building with a cursed reputation, and a two-minute clip that feels like a coded message. It’s a case sitting between tragedy, urban danger, and our hunger for the paranormal.
Join the Conversation
What do you see in the elevator tape — fear, psychosis, or something else?
Do the Dark Water parallels creep you out or is it just coincidence?
Drop your thoughts below (respectfully). Elisa was a real person, a daughter, a student.
House Notes
Don’t let BO haunt you this Halloween. I keep Wild Deodorant in my bag because it’s refillable, eco-friendly, and it actually works when I’m live for hours.
👉 Use code PARAWOMEN for 20% off your first purchase: https://shopwildrefill.com/PARAWOMEN.
Tricks are for ghosts. Treat your pits.
TL;DR
Elisa Lam vanished from the Cecil Hotel, was caught on bizarre elevator footage, and 19 days later was found in a rooftop water tank. Officially an accidental drowning; unofficially still one of the internet’s most argued mysteries.
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