Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Helps Pull Boy from Rubble in Nepal

PHOTOS of rescue courtesy of Fairfax County Virginia Task Force 1

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A rescue task force from Fairfax County, Va. has assisted in the rescue of a boy, 15, from the earthquake rubble in Nepal.

A 7.8 earthquake struck the area Saturday; the quake killed at least 5,500 according to the latest reports.

The rescuers are keeping a blog about their efforts and posted photos and information about the rescue. Virginia Task Force 1 and a similar group from Los Angeles assisted with the rescue of the boy from the rubble of a building in Kathmandu in Nepal. Both teams along with Nepali emergency services worked more than three hours in rescuing the buried teenager, according to the post by the task force.

The rescue in Nepal came about after an LA search canine team detected live scent, according to a post on the Task Force 1 Web site. Using hand tools to begin, rescuers from Fairfax County and Los Angeles began extrication operations.

After working for about three hours, the 15-year-old boy was safely removed from the structure. Medical staff from Fairfax County accompanied the patient in the ambulance to continue life-saving procedures. In advance of removing the victim, contact was made with the Israel Field Hospital to ensure it was prepared to receive the patient.

The boy, Pemba Lama, told BBC he survived by drinking water from wet clothes.

Afterwards, both teams returned to search and rescue operations.

Established in 1986 as a domestic and international disaster response resource, sponsored by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Virginia Task Force 1 is staffed by approximately 200 specially trained career and volunteer fire and rescue personnel, with expertise in the rescue of victims from collapsed structures, following a natural or man-made catastrophic event.