A 19-year-old male was left in a critical condition when his house collapsed on him in Blyvoor, Carltonville yesterday.
The teenager was found trapped beneath the rubble with very little room to move.
ER24, fire department personnel and various other emergency services worked tirelessly at the old hostel building for approximately three hours to free the patient. They used jaws-of-life equipment and other machinery including a crane during the rescue.
To keep him stable while the rescue operation continued, ER24 paramedics administered treatment to him symptomatically. A small gap through the rubble was used to also supply him with oxygen.
The patient’s right hand sustained the most severe injuries as it was the most entrapped part of his body. He told paramedics that he couldn’t move or feel it.
The rescue operation ended after a hole was dug beneath him and he was carefully maneuvered out. He was then immediately transported to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
It is unclear how the building collapsed.