JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 9, 2008 — Kevin Furniss was trapped under a pile of rubble after Tuesday鈥檚 tornado that swept across the Union campus. But when a rescue worker grabbed his hand, he knew he was going to make it out alive.
鈥淚t felt a lot like when I prayed to receive Christ,鈥� Furniss said. 鈥淗e pulled me out of a lot of sin. As deep and hopeless as I was, Christ pulled me out. In the same way, it felt like that when [the rescuer] grabbed my hand and pulled me out.鈥�
Furniss was one of 51 Union students who emergency medical workers transported to the hospital. While most were treated and released, five students 鈥� two in intensive care 鈥� remain in Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.
Besides Furniss of Bartlett, Tenn., others hospitalized include David Wilson from Hixson, Tenn.; Matthew Kelley from Somerville, Tenn.; Jason Kaspar from Lakeland, Tenn.; and Cheryl Propst, a child of missionaries in Kenya.
Mark Wilson, father of David Wilson, said that despite terrible circumstances, there is much for which to be grateful.
鈥淲hat I鈥檝e learned I鈥檝e known for years 鈥� that first God鈥檚 mercies are new every morning,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淭hursday was a really bad day for us. I heard some things that really scared me. I used all those mercies and they were just enough to get me through the day.
鈥淏ut (Friday) morning he refilled my bank account. It鈥檚 not a credit account where you can take extra, but every morning he fills what you need for the day.鈥�
Furniss, along with six other male students, was trapped beneath piles of rubble in a residence hall bathroom for about four hours as rescuers diligently worked to set them free.
鈥淚 was wedged between the bathroom wall and the sink,鈥� Furniss said. 鈥淲e screamed a lot. We panicked a lot. There was a lot of pain.鈥�
Furniss described the second hour of their entrapment as a search for hope in the midst of dire circumstances.
鈥淲e began praying a lot and asking each other questions about salvation,鈥� Furniss recalled from his hospital bed. 鈥淎t this point I hadn鈥檛 seen a face or a light and wasn鈥檛 sure what was going to happen. I started singing and other guys were still praying.鈥�
Rescuers initially attempted to use mallets and sledgehammers to break through the rubble in a desperate effort to reach the young men. After several failed attempts, workers resorted to chainsaws.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 move my arms or my legs,鈥� Furniss said. He recalled hearing chainsaws and knew help was on the way but 鈥渢hen I became scared of the chainsaw hitting me because I didn鈥檛 know where the sound was coming from.
鈥淢y fear was that the chainsaw would go into my back 鈥� that they were going to find me, but that I was going to be dead.鈥�
Furniss eventually was able to bust his arm through the drywall and insulation. He said the exposure to the cold, outside air delivered the glimmer of hope for which the trapped students had been waiting.
Bob Furniss, Kevin鈥檚 father, said it is difficult to be the parent not knowing the status of a child trapped in a collapsed building.
鈥淥ne person told me he had seen Kevin,鈥� Bob said. 鈥淏ut we said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want you to tell me you saw him; I want you to tell me you talked to him.鈥欌��
Candy Kelley, mother of Matt Kelley, said although the days have been difficult, they are thankful the situation was not more severe.
鈥淚t is hard, but God never told us it was going to be easy,鈥� Kelley said. 鈥淭his could have been a lot worse 鈥� we have our son with us.鈥�
As Union rebuilds its buildings and campus life, the affects of the destruction continue to weave unity through the faculty, staff and students.
鈥淲hen I got pulled out, I saw guys from different fraternities and professors on each side of me,鈥� Furniss said. 鈥淓veryone that came together to help risked their own lives to go back in and save the seven of us.
鈥淚t felt a lot like 1 Corinthians where we have many members who all become one body. We all just became a true body.鈥�