Monday marks one week since the catastrophic collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic, which tragically claimed the lives of 231 people in the early hours of April 8 and left another 180 injured. Among the myriad of survivor stories, Patricia Ovalles's account has captured widespread attention. As an employee at the venue, she was trapped beneath the rubble for nearly six hours before being rescued.
In an emotional interview with Univision, Patricia shared her harrowing experience in a detailed, tearful manner. "I never lost consciousness, but it was terrifying inside. I was trapped under debris for almost six hours," she recounted.
The Moments Leading to the Collapse
Patricia described how everything happened swiftly. A colleague warned her about water dripping from the ceiling. Glancing up, she noticed what looked like "a blue bag." Positioned near the stage, she recalled the singer Rubby Pérez mentioning that dust was falling. His daughter, Zulinka, urged him to leave, but he chose to continue performing.
Rubby's daughter was supposed to sing next but felt unwell and stepped away from the stage. Moments later, the entire structure came crashing down. Patricia described the horror as a massive light fixture killed at least one person near her.
She recounted with anguish how a deceased woman lay partially across her body, hearing the cries of many trapped individuals, and the continuous ringing of a dead man's phone beside her.
A Desperate Call and a Hopeful Rescue
Hours later, Patricia managed to locate her phone beneath her abdomen and called her son's father in New York. "I told him, 'Please take care of our son, don't tell him anything, protect him. Look after my mom and dad. I don't want God to let me die,'" she recalled.
Patricia vividly remembered clutching a hand and pleading for help, only to realize it belonged to a deceased person. "A woman told me, 'Don't hold onto him, he's dead. Hold onto me, I'm alive,'" she recounted.
When rescuers finally reached her, she felt a renewed hope for survival. They first administered an IV to hydrate her while carefully removing debris, as other survivors were nearby. A rescuer advised her to conserve her strength, warning that she was trapped in a challenging area.
Patricia explained that a significant challenge was a large block pinning her down as debris was cleared. The rescuers placed a wooden beam to alleviate some pressure. "They worked tirelessly," she praised.
She noted a metal rod close to her that could have been fatal. When the rescuers reached her, she asked them to remove the deceased woman who was trapping her legs. After hours beneath the weight, Patricia could no longer feel her legs. Once the body was removed, she experienced relief as she could finally move.
In a final act of care, a rescuer threw his jacket over her head to protect her as they pulled her out. She was saved just as dawn was breaking. The rescuer, with tears in his eyes, told her, "This is your day. You were born today. I saved you."
"His tears fell on my chest. He said, 'You survived, thank God. You have a new reason to live,'" concluded Patricia Ovalles, who now faces a long journey to heal both physically and emotionally from the trauma of the tragedy.
Understanding the Jet Set Nightclub Disaster
What caused the Jet Set nightclub roof to collapse?
The exact cause of the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest structural weaknesses and potential water damage may have contributed to the disaster.
How many people were affected by the tragedy?
The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 231 people and left an additional 180 individuals injured.