Turkish teen filmed `last moments' from beneath the rubble

ADIYAMAN, TURKEY >> A 17-year-old high school student has captured Turkish hearts after he filmed a farewell message to his loved ones as he was trapped under the rubble of his home during a recent earthquake.

Taha Erdem and his family were fast asleep when a 7.8 magnitude quake hit their hometown of Adiyaman in the early hours of Feb. 6.

Taha was abruptly woken by violent tremors shaking the four-story apartment building in a blue- collar neighborhood of the central Anatolian city.

Within 10 seconds, Taha, his mother, father and younger brother and sister were plunging downward with the building.

He found himself alone and trapped under tons of rubble, with waves of powerful aftershocks shifting the debris, squeezing his space amid the mangled mess of concrete and twisted steel. Taha took out his cellphone and began recording a final goodbye, hoping it would be discovered after his death.

“I think this is the last video I will ever shoot for you,” he said from the tight space, his phone shaking in his hand as tremors rocked the collapsed building.

Showing remarkable resilience and bravery for a teenager believing he was speaking his last words, he lists his injuries and speaks of his regrets and the things he hopes to do if he emerges alive.

During the video, the screams of other trapped people can be heard.

“We are still shaking. Death, my friends, comes at a time when one is least expecting it.” says Taha, before reciting a Muslim prayer in Arabic.

“There are many things that I regret. May God forgive me of all my sins. If I get out of here alive today there are many things that I want to do. We are still shaking, yes. My hand isn't shaking, it's just the earthquake.”

The teen goes on to recount that he believes his family are dead, along with many others in the city, and that he soon will join them.

But Taha was destined to be among some of the first saved from the destroyed building. He was pulled from the rubble two hours later by neighbors and taken to an aunt's home.

Ten hours after the quake, his parents and siblings also were saved by local residents who dug at the wreck of the building with their bare hands.

TAHA ERDEM — FOR THE AP In this photo, Taha Erdem, 17, records himself using his smartphone as he is trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building after the Feb. 6 earthquake in Adiyaman, Turkey, on Feb. 6.