Report: Filipino survives 5-story fall in Caribbean

A 54-year-old Filipino carpentry foreman miraculously survived after falling five stories down a laundry chute of a hotel construction site in Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago shortly before noon Saturday. The Trinidad Express newspaper (www.trinidadexpress.com) reported Saturday night that the Filipino, who was not immediately named, fell from the 22nd to the 17th floor while working on the laundry chute at the International Waterfront Project Site at Wrightson Road. It said the construction site belonged to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain. The report quoted Danielle Jones, public affairs manager at the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT), as saying the accident occurred just before noon. "Because he used all the safety gear his injuries were minor, as he only required several stitches. He suffered lacerations to his face and leg," she said. Emergency services were on the site Within 10 minutes of the accident. The Filipino was rushed to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was examined and given clearance to be transferred to the St Clair Medical Centre. At the St Clair Medical Centre, tests and X-rays were conducted to determine if there were any major internal injuries and broken bones. Tests confirmed that there were no internal injuries. "The safety officer at Bouygues remained with the worker at the St Clair Medical Centre to ensure solid recovery and to offer moral support," Jones said. Jones said it had been more than two months since the last reported accident on site, which resulted in minor back injury. "No accidents at the site have resulted in major injuries in the two and a half years since the site has been active," she said. But the carpentry foreman was to remain overnight at St Clair for cat scans and further observation. There was no work stoppage as a result of the accident. - GMANews.TV