SHOCKING: A Rescuer Reveals Chilling Diary Found at Lisbon’s Glória Funicular Crash Site – Last Entry Warns: “Don’t Take the 11 PM Ride”

By Elena Vasquez, International Correspondent

Lisbon, Portugal – September 9, 2025 – In the shadow of one of Europe’s most picturesque cities, tragedy has taken on an eerie, almost supernatural twist. Just days after the catastrophic derailment of the iconic Elevador da Glória funicular that claimed 16 lives and left 21 others injured, a rescuer has come forward with a spine-tingling discovery: a weathered diary pulled from the twisted wreckage. Its final page, scrawled in frantic handwriting, ends with a haunting warning – “Don’t take the 11 PM ride.” The crash occurred at 6 p.m., but the ominous message has ignited a firestorm of speculation, conspiracy theories, and questions about whether fate, foresight, or foul play was at work

The Elevador da Glória, a beloved relic of Lisbon’s Victorian-era engineering marvels, has long been a symbol of the city’s romantic charm. Opened in 1885, this funicular railway – one of three in Lisbon – ferries passengers up the steep 45-degree incline from the bustling Baixa-Chiado district to the bohemian heights of Bairro Alto. With its yellow-and-white cars rattling along 264 meters of track, it offers stunning views of the Tagus River and the seven hills that define Portugal’s capital. Millions of tourists and locals alike ride it annually, paying a modest €2.10 for a one-way ticket. But on Wednesday, September 4, that charm turned to chaos in an instant.

Eyewitnesses described a scene straight out of a nightmare. Stefania Lepidi, a 32-year-old Italian tourist on the uphill carriage, recounted the horror to reporters: “We were just starting our ascent when we heard this godawful screeching. The downhill car – it was flying toward us like a runaway train. Our own car jerked violently, like it was in free fall for a split second. People were screaming, clutching their seats. Then, boom – it smashed right into the wall of a building at the bottom.” The descending car, carrying 38 passengers, had broken free from its cable, plummeting at breakneck speed before derailing and overturning. Debris scattered across the narrow Calçada da Glória street, and the crumpled remains pinned victims beneath metal and glass.

Emergency services arrived within minutes, but the toll was devastating. Sixteen people perished, including eight tourists from the UK, Spain, and the United States, as well as several Portuguese locals. Among the injured was a three-year-old boy, miraculously pulled alive from the rubble by firefighters – a glimmer of hope amid the devastation. Hospitals in Lisbon overflowed with the wounded, many suffering from fractures, lacerations, and severe trauma. Preliminary investigations point to a catastrophic failure of the funicular’s main cable, which snapped under inexplicable strain. Engineers from the city’s transport authority, Carris, have suspended all operations on the line indefinitely, and a full probe is underway to determine if maintenance lapses or structural fatigue contributed to the disaster.

As crews sifted through the wreckage in the days following, Portuguese rescuer Miguel Santos, a 45-year-old veteran firefighter with 20 years on the job, made a find that has sent shivers through the nation. Speaking exclusively to this reporter from his home in Lisbon’s Alfama district, Santos described the moment with a voice still laced with disbelief. “We were cutting through the mangled interior of the car, looking for any overlooked personal items or… remains,” he said, his eyes distant. “That’s when I saw it – a small, leather-bound diary, half-buried under a seat cushion that had been torn free. It was soaked in what I think was rainwater mixed with… other fluids. But it was intact enough to open.”

Santos, who lost two colleagues in the initial response effort, flipped through the diary’s pages under the harsh glow of emergency lights. What he read chilled him to the bone. The entries, written in English by what appeared to be a young woman, chronicled a series of unsettling experiences on the Glória line. The author, who signed her notes as “A,” described vivid nightmares of the funicular careening out of control, whispers of ghostly passengers from its 19th-century past, and a persistent feeling of dread around late-night rides. “The air changes after dark,” one entry from August 28 read. “The tracks hum with something unnatural. Last night, at 11 PM, I swear I saw shadows in the empty car opposite mine – figures from another time, waving me away.”

But it was the final page, dated September 3 – just one day before the crash – that has become the stuff of urban legend. In hurried, almost illegible script, it concluded: “I can’t shake this feeling. The dreams are warnings. Whatever you do, don’t take the 11 PM ride. It’s not safe. Not anymore.” Santos handed the diary over to authorities immediately, but photos leaked online within hours, going viral across social media platforms. Hashtags like #GloriaGhostDiary and #11PMWarning have trended worldwide, with users sharing their own eerie tales of the funicular.

Who was “A”? Police have yet to identify the diary’s owner, but sources close to the investigation suggest it belonged to a 25-year-old backpacker from Canada who was among the fatalities. Her name, withheld pending family notification, matches descriptions of a solo traveler spotted on the line in recent weeks. Friends and fellow hostel guests in Bairro Alto have come forward, painting a picture of a sensitive soul obsessed with Lisbon’s haunted history. “She was always journaling about the old trams,” said roommate Clara Mendes, a Brazilian student. “She believed the Glória was cursed – said it carried echoes of the 1755 earthquake that leveled the city. That last entry? She texted me about a bad vibe the night before. I wish I’d listened.”

The discovery has fueled a torrent of theories. Skeptics dismiss it as coincidence – the crash happened at 6 p.m., not 11, after all. But paranormal enthusiasts point to the funicular’s dark lore. Built atop ancient Roman ruins and surviving the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the Elevador da Glória has long been whispered about in local folklore. Tales abound of apparitions: spectral nuns from a nearby convent, lost souls from cholera epidemics, even poltergeist activity rattling the cars at midnight. One urban legend claims that on foggy nights, the funicular doesn’t just transport the living – it ferries the dead to the hilltop cemetery of São Pedro de Alcântara.

Conspiracy theorists have seized on the diary too. Online forums buzz with claims of sabotage – perhaps a disgruntled maintenance worker or a rival transport company tampering with the cables. “Why 11 PM specifically?” one Reddit user posted in a thread garnering over 50,000 upvotes. “Was there a planned late-night test run that got covered up? The diary knew something.” Others speculate about predictive programming or even time-travel hoaxes, drawing parallels to famous “premonitions” like the Titanic warnings in old letters. Portuguese officials have urged calm, stating the diary is part of the evidence collection and no foul play is suspected at this stage.

As Lisbon mourns, the Glória stands silent, its tracks a scar on the hillside. Flowers, candles, and handwritten notes – many echoing the diary’s plea – pile up at the crash site. “RIP to the souls on that fateful ride,” reads one. “Heed the warning.” Tourism to the area has dipped, with nervous visitors opting for elevators or taxis instead. Carris has promised a swift rebuild, but questions linger: Was the diary a cry for help, a prophetic vision, or mere coincidence amplified by grief?

Santos, the rescuer, hasn’t slept well since. “I’ve pulled bodies from fires, earthquakes, you name it,” he confides. “But that diary… it’s like the dead are still speaking. If it saves one life by making people think twice about those late rides, then good. But Lisbon’s hills hold secrets. And now, the Glória’s just added one more.”

In a city where history bleeds into the present, the Elevador da Glória crash isn’t just a tragedy – it’s a mystery wrapped in enigma. As investigators pore over the diary’s pages and engineers dissect the failed cable, one thing is clear: the warning, intended or not, has echoed far beyond those fateful tracks. Will the 11 PM ride ever feel safe again? Only time – and perhaps a few restless spirits – will tell.