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Rescue of 12-year-old boy impaled on metal gate causes distress in Leyte town


The accident involving a 12-year-old boy whose arm was impaled on a school's metal gate proved to be one of the most traumatizing ordeals for the small town of Tunga, Leyte.

An episode of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho followed the rescue of Clark, which lasted several hours as residents struggled to respond to the accident.

 


The day started out normal: Clark was sent on an errand to give donations to the local church by his aunt Corazon.

Like many who lived there, Clark cut through Tunga Central School, which was normally used as a shortcut for those going to and from the church and the wet market.

On that day, however, the school gate was closed because there was a fiesta and there were no classes.

Clark was not deterred. As is the habit of other students, Clark made to jump over the gate.

But after jumping, he lost his balance and accidentally impaled his arm on one of the 8-inch metal spikes.

Her mother was horrified to hear about the accident and couldn't bring herself to head over to the scene.

Clark's father Glen meanwhile was quick to respond. He attempted to disengage his son from the gate, but lost heart when Clark was brought to tears due to the pain. Clark was given a chair to stand on to ease the discomfort and pain.

Glen sought help from those nearby. The residents called the local Fire Brigade team but the latter did not have enough equipment so the group sought help from Barugo MDDRMO who provided the stretcher and Carigara Fire Brigade team who brought a bolt-cutter.

The team had tried using a bolt-cutter to saw through the metal, but because the thick frame of the gate could not be penetrated, they borrowed a grinder from a repair shop.

As they sliced through the part of the gate that pierced through Clark, they periodically gave water to the boy who has turned pale because of the ordeal.

Despite the horror and fear, Clark managed to maintain his composure.

 


Finally, at around 1 pm, the spike was finally sliced from the gate, but it was still embedded in Clark's arm.

He was rushed to the hospital as they feared that he'd be infected with tetanus because the gate was old.

An x-ray showed that luckily, the spike did not hit any vital organs. He was also cleared from the possibility of contracting tetanus.

Three doctors successfully removed the metal from Clark's arm after almost five hours of surgery.

They had needed to put 16 stitches to close the large wound.

The principal of Tunga Central School meanwhile clarified that there is usually a guard stationed at the gate, but because there were no classes that day, there was no one on duty. The school said it will discuss what measures to implement following the accident.

Clark is currently in recovery and is avoiding leaving the house until school starts again.

Harrowing as it is, the whole ordeal was a learning experience not just for Clark but other students who previously did not see the dangers of the seemingly harmless habit of jumping over the gate. — LA, GMA News

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