Man rescued from George building collapse on Saturday to be reunited with family
Gabriel Guambe was working as a tiler on the five-storey apartment block when it toppled last week and was rescued from the 3,000 tonnes of rubble after days without food or water.
A survivor was pulled from the collapsed building in George, in the Western Cape on 11 May 2024. The man was rescued after being trapped for 118 hours without food or water. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/Eyewitness News
GEORGE - The miracle survivor in the George building collapse will be reunited with his family on Monday.
Gabriel Guambe was working as a tiler on the five-storey apartment block when it toppled last week.
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The 32-year-old was rescued from the 3,000 tonnes of rubble after days without food or water.
His rescue has sparked a renewed momentum in the teams pulling painstakingly long hours on site to find more survivors.
It was 118 hours into the search operation when the rescue hounds detected the scent of a person trapped beneath the debris.
Quickly, rescue workers moved in with specialist cameras and other delicate rescue devices.
Advanced EMS rescue technician Jethro Jacobs verified the groans coming from underground.
“As I went in deeper into the void, I could hear the patient on the other side of the wall. I established contact with him. We had good communication through the whole operation.
“The injuries he sustained [was that] he was complaining of pain in the lower extremities. He was alone in the cavity.”
Rescue workers are not giving up hope that there are more people to save.
Guambe is recovering in George hospital and is well enough to have sent this message to the outside world: “I’m okay now. Everything is okay. Thank you, God bless you guys.”
Guambe’s father is expected to arrive in George on Monday.