Man Who Lost His Glasses In China Earthquake Found After 17 Days | NOW

A missing man was found 17 days after the earthquake hit southwest China. Gan Yu had stayed in the area to help prevent a flood. But visually impaired Gan lost his glasses and was left alone in the rugged landscape, reports BBC News. Last Wednesday, he was found by a farmer.

The September 5 earthquake in Sichuan province killed 93 people. More than 400 others were injured.

Gan continued to work at the Wandong Hydroelectric Power Station that day. He tried to prevent the floods by pumping out the water. He also helped his injured colleagues.

But when the very myopic man lost his glasses, it was difficult to get out of the rugged landscape, local media reported. Together with his colleague Luo Yong, they walked about 20 kilometers in the mountains surrounding the factory.

They asked for help to no avail as rescuers searched the area. Luo told Chinese media that they took off their clothes, tied them to tree branches and then waved them around. Eventually, Luo decided to ask for help and left Gan. He was left with a makeshift bed made of moss and bamboo leaves and some wild fruits and bamboo shoots to eat.

On September 8, rescue workers found Luo. But by the time Gan’s hideout was discovered three days later, she was gone. Rescuers only found his clothes.

A farmer who lives near the hydroelectric plant joined the search this week. After a few hours, the farmer heard Gan’s call and found him among the trees. Gan was taken to hospital with broken bones.

Sichuan is located on the edge of two continental plates that slide over each other. Earthquakes are frequent. In 2008, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 was measured. He killed over 80,000 people.