Large pieces of stone flew around in large numbers as I picked them up and tossed them aside while digging through the collapsed ruins.
The hardest part of excavating demolished buildings is when dirt and loose earth fill the spaces you just cleared. Fortunately, since the church that stood here was made of stone, the pieces and chunks that filled the basements were quite large.
"Santiago, Mike, are you unarmed or do you have anything that can be used as a weapon? Do your injuries require immediate medical attention? What do you have to work with?"
It was common practice for rescue teams to try to communicate with survivors as they were being rescued. This served as a multifaceted technique to perform several checks at once.
First, it measured the cognitive function of those in need. If the survivors could not understand simple questions, the responders would know if immediate medical attention was needed.
