Crush victim walks from hospital

Last updated 15:10 01/04/2011

 

A man trapped for 10 hours in the collapsed Pyne Gould Corporation building walked out of Christchurch Hospital yesterday.

Nick Walls, a senior accountant with Leech & Partners, suffered crush syndrome when he was pinned under his desk by debris during the February 22 earthquake.

"I dived under the desk while I was still on the phone and everything just started tumbling, then it just went black and silent for the next 10 hours pretty much," he told The Press in a previous interview.

The 30 year-old was freed from the rubble about 11 that night, but later required surgery to amputate muscles and tissue around his buttocks.

He spent the next five weeks recovering in Christchurch Hospital's orthopaedic ward, but spent a few hours outside the ward on March 18 to attend the wedding of friends Hayden and Nicola Garbutt in Halswell.

Walls said he could not fault the care he received in hospital, but had been itching to get home.

''They're just an amazing bunch of dedicated doctors and nurses as well as everyone else who works [at Christchurch Hospital] who has been involved in my care. Without them I wouldn't be walking out today.''

Walls' mother Jenny said it had been an extremely hard time for their family but they were some of the lucky ones.

 

''There have been so many people affected by what has happened and much worse than us. We are so lucky to have Nick with us.''