According to ‘The Richest’, one of the most famous theories says that Elisa Lam was playing the so-called elevator game, which is a deadly Korean game with the goal reaching “a dimension in which nothing exists but the player” (Rich). This is possible because there were several similar unsolved cases throughout the world which the victims also died in the water tank. However, in accordance with the YouTube video ‘Elisa: The Documentary’, the actual game should stop at the 10^th floor, “but Elisa Lam was on the 14^th floor, which is a floor the game does not involve at all” (The Paranormal Scholar). Furthermore, she did not even follow the steps of the actual elevator game, it does not seem like she was playing the game.

Moreover, another possible theory is that she committed suicide. This claim makes sense because it is possible for a patient with bipolar disorder to have a mental breakdown, which then leads to killing him/herself. However, if this is the case, how did Elisa know there are water tanks on the roof of the hotel? Plus, if she went to the roof to kill herself, why did she choose to drown herself instead of simply jump off the roof (which is less painful).

Based on the unlikelihood of the paranormal and suicide theories, the accidental drowning theory makes more sense. Just like what Melissa Petro, who has suffered from mental illness, mentioned in her article, Elisa’s “death was an accident the way an accident could’ve happened when I rode my bike haphazardly through traffic” (The Establishment). Furthermore, as Petro mentioned, those who suffers from mental illness like Elisa Lam have a lot more chance “to die in an accident than others” (The Establishment).