An NYU student was found stuck in a two-foot space between two buildings on Sunday, The Daily News (click for photo journal) reported. The 19-year old survived there for two days, unable to escape from the gap.
It's not yet precisely known how Asher Vongtau wedged himself between a parking garage and an NYU dormitory, but officials believe he fell about 10 stories from the roof of his dorm, which is the only access point to the two-foot wide space, according to The Daily News.
"The circumstances of how the student came to be in this space are unclear to us," a NYU statement read. "We are glad that student was found and rescued, pleased that his condition was such that he was able to remain conscious and alert during the rescue, grateful to the FDNY and NYPD for their quick response and excellent work, and proud of our Public Safety officer for looking in what would have been an unlikely spot for a student to be."
After being rescued by firefighters and policeman around 5 p.m. on Sunday, Vongtau was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to The Daily News. He suffered a fractured skull, pelvis, and arm. He also sustained injuries to his lung and spleen. Despite his serious condition, Vongtau was conscious and remained coherent enough to ease some of his mother's worries before receiving treatment.
"He was pretty weak, but he was able to say hi," his mother said. "I asked, 'Are you in pain?' He said the he is, but it's nothing he can't handle."
Rescuers had to sledgehammer an adjacent concrete wall to save Vongtau, ABC News reported.
Vongtau went missing on Saturday morning after someone pulled the fire alarm, according to ABC News. Students saw him running up the stairs. He was reported missing on Saturday night, at which point the search began immediately, according to NYU's Public Safety Department.
According to his friends, however, campus safety didn't do much until Sunday afternoon and they may have found him too late if it weren't for their own advice to check the roof, ABC News reported.
"Had we not told the security guards, the three of us 19 year old students, to check the roof, they would not have found him for who knows how long and he would probably be dead right now," Michael Yablon told WCBS.
Vongtau's cell phone was found at the top of the roof. Sources close to the case believe he may have been under the influence of a controlled substance when he fell, according to ABC News.
