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‘I thought I was dead for a minute there’: The incredible rescue of 14-year-old girl who was swept away in her home by mudslide and saved by firefighters who heard her screaming in wreckage

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

By Paul Martin

Teenager found caked in mud under ruins of her home in Montecito, California
Firecrews searching for survivors had heard screams coming from the wreckage
Dramatic images show the 14-year-old being lifted out of the twisted remains
Dazed girl could be heard saying: ‘I thought I was dead for a minute there’

A 14-year-old girl who was swept away in her home by a mudslide was saved by rescuers who heard her screaming in the wreckage.

Lauren Cantin was found caked in mud under the ruins of her home after it was destroyed by debris that crashed through Montecito, California.

Her father, Dave Cantin, and brother, Jack, were said to be missing after the rescue.

Firecrews searching for survivors heard muffled screams coming from the wreckage and spent six hours trying to free the girl.

Dramatic images shows her being gently lifted from the twisted remains of the building – apparently having escaped major injury.

‘I thought I was dead for a minute there,’ the dazed girl could be heard saying on video posted by KNBC-TV before she was taken away on a stretcher.

At one point she winces with pain as she is being helped down, but is then able to walk away – with the help of two rescuers – between the huge boulders left by the mudslide.

Andy Rupp, Montecito Fire Department told NBC News : ‘As we came off this debris pile in the back, my partner and I were able to hear a little bit of a scream, so we got real quiet – we were able to locate the victim and over the last six hours we’ve been locating exactly where she was.

‘Digging down to her, with the help of a lot of tools we were able to free her out and she’s on her way in to the hospital right now.’

Authorities in Santa Barbara County are still trying to reach new areas and dig into the destruction to find dead, injured or trapped people after a powerful mud flow swept away dozens of homes.

At least 13 people were confirmed dead Tuesday, at least 25 were injured and at least 50 had to be rescued by helicopters.