In an excellent example of local journalism, the Banbridge Leader featured several local people who had been caught up in world events in 2011. One was Lynda Patterson who is on the staff of Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand.
The article comments: A Dromore native and a woman formerly from Donaghcloney are among those whose harrowing tales have helped bring home the devastation of the New Zealand earthquake.
Lynda Patterson, who hails from Dromore, had been working in the collapsed Christchurch cathedral where she had been theologian-in-residence since moving to there six years ago. She said she was convinced she would die in the quake – which killed 20 people.
Lynda said, “When the building stopped shaking, we made for the back door, checking that all the staff were accounted for.”
Describing the “apocalyptic” scenes in the aftermath of the quake, she said, “Looking up and down the main street, we could see buildings down and vehicles crushed.
“To the south of us we saw people clambering over wreckage to try and get people out of cars as more buildings fell around them; the soundtrack was fire alarms and people screaming.
“There was a man with a broken leg lying on the ground beside me, and dozens of people around looking dazed and covered in blood.”
After the disaster Lynda felt haunted, she said, by the thought that they had failed to get everyone out of the ruins…
More at:
http://www.banbridgeleader.co.uk/news/local/world_events_hit_home_1_3385817