A senior in 90s rescued alive in 124 hours after earthquake

“Hang in there. You’re doing well!” shouted a rescue crew member to an elderly lady in her 90s around 8:20 p.m. on Friday who was trapped in the rubble of a second-story house that was brought down by a strong earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula. Her hands, which had been listless and cold, became warmer and could be felt for a pulse. It was three hours after she was discovered, and the rescue process had begun. A total of 124 hours had passed after the earthquake.

“ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation). Okay. Good to transfer,” said a rescue doctor who signaled that her vital signs had returned. The patient, wrapped in blankets, was moved on a stretcher, and rushed to a hospital. She was able to communicate with limited ability at the time of rescue, which recovered to normal levels as of early Saturday. “There was a ray of hope in a difficult situation. I salute all those who did not give up and continued the rescue work,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The “golden hour” in a catastrophe is usually 72 hours. The elderly woman’s survival after 124 hours is likened to a miracle. “I’ve been involved in rescue activities for a long time, but I’ve never seen this happen before,” said an officer at the Japanese Metropolitan Police Agency. Another woman in her 40s who had been found in the same home had a cardiopulmonary arrest.

Reportedly, the rescue team was most concerned about the ‘crush syndrome’ risk during the rescue. When heavy objects pressing a patient are suddenly removed, toxins may spread through blood veins and, in severe cases, can lead to death. The rescue team was careful to adjust the speed of the rescue while providing medical treatment at the same time.


sanghun@donga.com