LA County Firefighters Help Rescue Teen Found 5 Days After Earthquake In Nepal
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles County Fire Department Thursday announced Urban Search and Rescue team members helped to pull an 18-year-old man out of earthquake rubble in Nepal.
According to firefighters, Los Angeles County rescue dogs originally got a hit in the wreckage of a seven story building that had collapsed in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
Los Angeles County firefighters, along with a team from Fairfax County in Virginia, worked for hours to desperately dig through the wreckage and free the teenager in time.
In tense moments leading up to his rescue, crews used jacks to lift concrete slabs from the wreckage. The teen was found responsive and alive.
"Its amazing that the U.S. government has sent us across the world to help people in need," said Andy Olvera, of the LACOFD. "We're here to actually help the people, and it's an amazing feeling."
Officials explained the teenager had been trapped for five days following the catastrophic earthquake on Saturday. Paramedics transported him to a hospital for treatment.
Police in the capital city of Kathmandu, Nepal say close to 12,000 people were injured in the earthquake, and the death toll has now topped 5,000 people.
Firefighters are still trying to reach two other children who are trapped in the rubble from the same collapsed building.
According to officials, 57 Los Angeles team members along with six dogs are currently assisting in Nepal.