- Texan David Willis wandered into London book store to use free WiFi
- Willis made phone calls after realizing he was locked in, but no one initially came to his aid
- He was released after three hours when his social media posts were spotted
(CNN) -- There's nothing like getting stuck into a good book -- but getting stuck in a good book store is a different matter.
Just ask David Willis, a tourist from Texas who was inadvertently locked inside a London retailer for several hours, after strolling in minutes before the store was closing.
Willis, from Dallas, entered the Waterstones store near London's Trafalgar Square on Thursday evening to use the store's WiFi.
"I walked into the store about five minutes before 9 p.m.," he told the UK's ITV television network.
"I walked in right past employees and I needed to use the internet... I peeked up on the second floor and saw there were chairs and a table up there so I walked up there and was using the internet for 10 or 15 minutes and all the lights were on upstairs.
"I get ready to leave and I walk down and it's completely dark and the doors were locked."
Willis said despite setting an alarm off by trying to open the doors and speaking to a security guard and police via telephone, no one came to his aid.
After several hours of waiting, he took to social media to broadcast his plight, posting on Twitter and Instagram.
This is me locked inside a waterstones bookstore in London. I was upstairs for 15 minutes and came... http://t.co/EefA1antuG
— David Willis (@DWill_) October 16, 2014
Hi @Waterstones I've been locked inside of your Trafalgar Square bookstore for 2 hours now. Please let me out.
— David Willis (@DWill_) October 16, 2014
That did the trick. As his messages were retweeted thousands of times, a Waterstones employee spotted them and secured his release.
The bookstore posted its own Twitter message shortly afterward, announcing: "We're pleased to announce that @DWill_ is a free man once more. Thanks for your concern and tweets!"
We're pleased to announce that @DWill_ is a free man once more. Thanks for your concern and tweets!
— Waterstones (@Waterstones) October 16, 2014
After three hours in captivity, Willis followed that with his own Twitter declaration: "I'm free".
Speaking the morning after his ordeal, Willis told ITV: "I'm very tired, I did not sleep very much last night but it feels good to be free."
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