Earthquake survivor pulled from rubble, walks away from destruction

          On Thursday morning, a man was pulled from beneath the rubble of the United Nations compound in Port-au-Prince, Hati. He was one of many people who have miraculously survived the massive earthquake earlier this week. The man didn't come out easy though. According to Mike Davis, a specialist with the Fairfax County, Virgina, Urban Search and Rescue Team, a 15 member rescue squad worked for five hours to remove the debris using a jack hammer and buckets. The rescue squad had to climb down two to three stories of rubble to reach the covered man, as the building collapsed on him when the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Hati. Unfortunately, the geographic location of the United Nation's headquarters proved to be problematic. Davis told CNN's "American Morning" that the location was on the backside of a hill, so everything was upside down and inverted," David also said that luckily "we were able to self-assist him out, and he was able to walk out on his own." This rescue is only one of the many that are currently going on in Hati right now. Not all rescues have had the benefit of professional aid workers. Many have done whatever they can to help find survivors. Some have even clawed their way to survivors beneath buildings, using only their bare hands! Due to the shortage of heavy machinery to clear the debris, residents have used their hands and whatever tools they could find to lift large slabs of concrete. Near the presidential palace, Hati residents dug for hours on Wednesday to rescue a thirteen year old girl named Bea. As she was pulled out alive, a wild cheer erupted. She was happy to be alive, but sad to see the bodies of her family members lying nearby. As of right now, Haitians and rescuers are rushing to save as many people as they can. They know that some will perish waiting for help. A Fairfax rescue member, Sam Gray, said that "the hardest part is to know how many people aren't going to be saved."

          I agree with Mr. Gray, it is extremely hard to know that a great deal of people are not going to be saved. This earthquake is currently the worst disaster of the new year, and for it to happen to the poorest country in the western hemisphere is extremely sad. Before the earthquake, the people of Hati were living in poverty, and now they are living with nothing. All of the buildings in Port-au-Prince collapsed, crushing thousands of people with the debris. The hospitals have been destroyed, and the jail as well, so there is criminals running around the streets for the first time in a while. This is the definition of a catastrophe. There is thought to be as many as 500 000 people dead, which is terrible. The people of Hati must be extremely sad, but thankful that they survived. I can't imagine how I would feel if my whole entire town got demolished in seconds. It would be devastating, so I am very sensitive to the situation. I would love to help, and I hope that other people in the world feel the same way. I hope other countries around the world send money and resources to help Hati. The people of Hati are grateful for anything. After the cleanup is finished, the world should focus on helping Hati rebuild. They need a stronger government, a new hospital, and a new jail to start. Sending people to help build new houses and schools is crucial. I think that this was a terrible disaster, and I hope that nothing like this ever happens again. The only positive side to the whole event is that the countries around the world are working together to help. China, the United States, Canada, and Russia are all sending aid. I think that this may help to contribute to world peace, but it is still sad that Hati has to go through all of this. I hope that they can successfully rebuild, and I hope that as many people can be saved as possible.