A 24-year-old man has been rescued alive from the rubble of a ruined hotel in Haiti's capital Port-a

[nadinbrzezinski]

Source: BBC News

The rescue of Wismond Exantus came hours after the official search for earthquake survivors was declared over.

Onlookers cheered as the man - smiling and apparently in a good condition - emerged on a stretcher from what remains of the Napoli Inn Hotel.

He later told reporters that soft drinks and snacks had kept him going.


AT THE SCENE
Adam Mynott
By Adam Mynott, Port-au-Prince
After a rescue operation lasting two-and-a-half hours, three international rescue teams recovered the man from beneath the hotel and shop.

The man smiled but said nothing as he was pulled free.

Covered in dust, he was gingerly carried out to a waiting ambulance and taken to a nearby French field hospital.

He was trapped with four other victims who he said ceased moving about two days ago.

"I survived by drinking Coca-Cola and I ate some little tiny things," Mr Exantus, who worked in the hotel's grocery store, told French news agency AFP.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8477288.stm

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Lucky man... and the fact that he had access to food and water explains this, truly a miracle.

He was in a void, and since he was not crushed most likely he will not face Crush syndrome... as in he needed to be crushed.

This is truly amazing.

On a personal note if I ever get caught in a building, next to the elevator shaft, my choice is the soda\nuts aisle...

[Captain Hilts]

1. Man, oh, man....nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Indeed

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. Mine would involve a single malt shelf close to the

imported cheese, bread, and sausage aisle.

[marshall]

4. It's haunting to think of the unknown agony that is going on under the rubble

I've wondered if there were cases like this where people were trapped in small pockets where they might have access to food and be able to move a little, but just couldn't get to the surface. In cases like that they could survive for much longer than the week or ten days that doctors initially said was the limit, because that was without any food or water.

[Arugula Latte]

14. Me too. I'm sure there are some still alive.

It is horrifying to think of the terror they're endured for days and days.

[madmax]

5. I've read that they're calling off the search for survivors

NO, no - a few more days. People are still alive!

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. It reaches a point

that you have to... and man I am glad I'm not making that call!

They reached it though... and it tears the hearts of the rescue workers

[madmax]

7. yah but, but...

nadin they just found another man alive today. I agree with you but, how much is one more life worth. What else are they doing. According to CNN they can't get the supplies from the port to the capital. Waiting for US military to get the underwater experts out there to open up the port.

We all feel so powerless. :cry:

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Port is open and operating at 30%

and according to the ICRC help is now reaching some of the affected people and more every day.

Oh and CNN did say they were open, and even covered the few challenges at the port

The secondary airport at Jacmel is open (and supporting the canucks) and the third airport is open as San Isidro in the DR

They are actually overcoming some of the horrible logistics issues... is it slow? Yes, but it is happening.

And this sense of powerlessness is common, even among front line people.

[madmax]

9. Thanks for the update

My CNN viewing time was cut short today with the other half at home hogging the remote. I read about the man who was rescued on the MSN page.

That's good news. Hopefully miracles can still happen.

I believe it was Gupta or maybe Cooper who said, surgeons are performing up to 70 amputations a day. This is a nightmare. That's why Clooney said, Haiti has to be in our minds for the long haul. Aftercare for those amputees and those whose injuries will require lots of aftercare.

:hug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. That is the secondary wave and those woudl happen

in LA... with this extent of a disaster... that is just my experience talking

As to the amputees. Mexico City was smaller by orders of magnitude. The Mexican Red Cross ran an amputee specialized center for ten years or so. This is generational. (25 years)

Oh and I forgot the home for the elderly is now under the support of the ICRC... and don't ask me to 'splain this, but logistics has improved by orders of magnitude

[madmax]

11. Wow, Nadin you know your disater stats

With all that has happened in the last 8 years. Bush v. Gore, Bush, 9/11, Katrina and on and on my head is like mush. At one time I was rational now, it seems I run on emotion, frustratin and anger. Not good, need to re-group.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I did this, in Mexico

it was my job (on a much smaller scale) to keep all that in my head in much smaller, thankfully, incidents.

And to the home of the elderly, don't ask me to explain it. The answer would anger most here, but it is really good news. And not just because of these elderly people....it really speaks volumes as to how much things have actually improved.

When I read it, I was not crying for joy, it is just the beginning of a long slog, but I know good of a piece of news that is for the ground crews.

[madmax]

13. You're the real deal!

You don't just talk the talk... :patriot: and a genuinely good human being.

Sometimes I slum over at Freeperville. I can't believe the crap they spew even about natural disaster's and blaming the victims.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Right now thing of the guys and gals on the front lines

from MANY nations... they got it all but easy.

And I at times complained... and bitched and all that...

:-)

[madmax]

16. You're human

One would have to be a rock not reach a level of burn out and sheer frustration.

:hug: Thank you for what you did in Mexico. Sending good vibes to those on the front lines in Haiti. It's times like these that I wish I were younger and could just jump in and help.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. If I were younger and did not have certian medical conditions

that do not make me a good candidate, I would have.

We all have to understand our limits.

So I try to give some insight into what is going on.