- Alcides Moreno
Alcides Moreno is a
window washer who survived a fall of forty-seven stories.On the morning of
December 7 2007 , thewindow washer 's platform he and his brother Edgar were working on fell without warning from the 47th floor of anapartment building on 66th Street inNew York City . While his brother was killed on impact, Moreno survived despite severe injuries. Many, including Moreno's wife Rosario, have referred to his survival from the nearly convert|500|ft|adj=on fall as a "miracle ." [cite web
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/04/nyregion/04fall.html
title=‘Miraculous’ Recovery for Man Who Fell 47 Floors
first=James
last=Barron
publisher=New York Times
date=2008-01-07] The fact that he didn't strike his head or break hispelvis during the fall is credited with saving his life. [cite web
url=http://www.slate.com/id/2181498/
title=How To Survive a 47-Story Fall: Make sure you land on your feet.
first=Melinda
last=Wenner
publisher=Slate
date=2008-01-07]Dr. Philip S. Barie, the chief of the division of critical care at
New York-Presbyterian Hospital where Moreno is being treated, has stated that the chances of surviving such a fall are well below 1%. The death rate from even a three-story fall is about 50 percent, Barie said. People who fall more than 10 stories almost never survive. [cite web
url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jSz6k_1-Hp_nI1adkSvhYq3G4RGQD8TUO1VO1
title=Window Washer Who Fell 47 Floors Awake
first=DAVID B.
last=CARUSO
date=2008-01-07
publisher=Associated Press] Moreno's survival has been attributed to the convert|16|ft|adj=onscaffolding platform that he clung to as he fell; its largesurface area likely reduced histerminal velocity , and there is the possibility that he was further slowed bycrosswind s and by the platform striking the side of the building on the way down. The manner of his landing also helped; the scaffolding frame hit a wall and landed on a pile of twistedcable s that provided a bettercushion for landing than plainconcrete , and based on his injuries (he broke both legs and his right arm) it appears his extremities absorbed the brunt of the impact. [cite news| url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/90686?GT1=10755| title=Falling Man: The physics of surviving a 500-foot plunge| first=Charles| last= Euchner | publisher=Newsweek Web| date=2008-01-10]The story of survival was noted as far away as the United Kingdom. [cite web
url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/tim_hames/article3142140.ece
title=The Republicans in freefall? Don’t believe it: Our correspondent finds a political parallel in the story of a plummeting window cleaner
first=Tim
last=Hanes
publisher=The Times (UK)
date=2008-01-07]References
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