Blog 21 : Che’s account of Day 1 Written from a Hotel in the Dominican Republic

Che’s account of Day 1 written from a Hotel in the Dominican Republic

Hi TAF ,this is the first email contact I’ve been able to make.

My account of Operation Crocadile. Day 1 (For ERTSAR):

Landed at 4am Haiti time laid on the tarmac until daylight and able to find OSOCC (on sight operations coordination centre)

We were immediately deployed with a German medium SAR team, as the medical back up.

We were dropped off on a corner where people were searching a rubble pile. . Everywhere you look is rubble. Later we returned with a German SAR team, we worked together with them until after midnight.

We later went to the Cuban Hospital de la Renaissance where casualties were being brought off the street. It was a busy place the casualties were laid in the garden. Some had been seen and had just been left for 5 days or so with out treatment. I hasten to add the majority of the patients wounds were septic.

During the first day the German Sarteam extracted a 69 year old female with fractures to her legs she was also extremely dehydrated.

We were unable to get medivac until a CNN camera crew arrived. Later that evening they air lifted her to an American Hospital Ship.

End of Day 1 (Images guardian.co.uk)

When Che gets a moment he will send further accounts of his days with SAR teams at the Haiti Earthquake.

+