Haiti earthquake survivor may be buried for a month
A man pulled alive from the rubble of a building in Haiti’s capital this week could have been trapped since the earthquake struck more than four weeks ago, doctors have said.
The 28 year-old, identified as Evan Muncie, was found in the wreckage of a market where he sold rice, his family told staff at a University of Miami field hospital.
He was suffering from extreme dehydration and malnutrition, but did not appear to have significant crush injuries, the doctors said.
“He was emaciated. He hadn’t had anything in quite some time. He had open wounds that were festering on both of his feet,” said Dr Mike Connelly, of the university’s Project Medishare.
People who brought him to the hospital claimed that they found him while digging at the market. Mr Muncie told doctors that someone had brought him water while he was trapped, but medical staff said that he sounded confused and at times appeared to believe he was still under the rubble. “Initially, I’m sure he had his senses with him, so maybe he was able to find some kind of resources,” added Dr Connelly.
Dr Dushyantha Jayaweera, of the University of Miami field hospital, felt it was plausible that Mr Muncie had been buried since the quake. “It is unusual but not impossible,” he said.
“He was quite dehydrated and he was wasted, so there are certain things that suggest that it’s true.”
Dr Jayaweera described the man’s condition as “reasonable”. “He’s still sick, he cannot talk to anybody, but we are very optimistic with the condition of the patient.”
Mr Muncie was found nearly a month after the magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, killing more than 150,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless.
Haiti’s government declared search-and-rescue efforts over on January 23, but survivors still were being unearthed as late as January 27.
The Vancouver Sun
