Kyle Serba 05/27/10
Perez Aided in Rescue after “Two Minutes of Hell,” Now Volunteers as Construction Worker
SANTIAGO, Chile (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) - When a magnitude 8.8 earthquake devastated Chile in the early morning of Feb. 27, former North Carolina Central University tennis student-athlete Andres Perez was awakened by what he described as “two minutes of hell” on the 15th floor of a building in his hometown of Santiago."It was horrible,” Perez wrote in an e-mail. “I was on the 15th floor. There were two minutes of hell after I saw buildings, walls, houses GOING DOWN! I really thought that was the end of my adventures.
“I couldn’t do anything on the 15th floor, only try to breathe, which was almost impossible after
the first minute, but I stayed calm and just waited until it was over. After a few minutes, I just ran to the stairs barefoot."Two months after walking across the stage as a proud NCCU graduate, Perez found himself walking barefooted across shattered glass in a dark stairwell. He used the light from his cell phone and the sound of his voice to help guide people from the upper floors down to safety.
Now, three months after the Feb. 27 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, Perez is helping in the rebuilding effort as a volunteer construction worker in his hometown.
“When I heard about the earthquake, I was deeply saddened for the people of Chile,” said NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree. “When I heard that even one of our own Eagles was there, it touched my heart even more. I am relieved to hear that Andres is fine, but it makes us all proud that he has turned a terrible situation into something positive by showing the true greatness in us all, which is to help our fellow man. I am proud that Andres is showing his true character of giving, which he shared with the NCCU family during his tenure at NCCU.”PHOTO: In group photo, Andres Perez is the one at the top of the photo, standing on something in the background).