Woman Rescued After 25 Hours Trapped Under Desk

Ann Bodkin was trapped for over 25 hours under her desk. That’s what happened right here, after the earthquake in New Zealand. This is the site of the Pyne Gould building, a four-story office block in Christchurch.

A woman named Ann Bodkin was pulled out alive from the wreckage. She had been lying under her desk. When rescue workers brought her out, she was wrapped in blankets and there was applause. A police officer, Grant Lord, who was in charge of the rescue, said she was "very chirpy and in good health." It seemed she could move around while she was under the desk.

The earthquake left nearly 400 people dead or missing, and 75 deaths were confirmed at that point. They expected the number to go up a lot. The city was still having aftershocks, and emergency services were even told to clear the area around the Hotel Grand Chancellor because they were worried it might collapse. It’s hard to imagine the scene here, with people searching through mangled remains, and then this rescue happening after so long.