Beirut explosion: the fisherman who was ‘thrown 30 metres into the air' and survived

Exclusive: father saved by his son who found him under rubble after hour-long search in blast debris

Fisherman Waleed Taha who was rescued by his son, Khaled Taha, from under the debris at Beirut port. Courtesy Khaled Taha

Khaled Taha faced scenes of death and destruction as he searched for his father among the wreckage at the port in Beirut. 

Khaled pulled his bloodied but breathing father from under the debris after hunting for more than an hour.

He had rushed to the port after news that his father, Waleed, had been caught up in the devastating blast last Tuesday.

His mother told him that Waleed went fishing at Warehouse 11, next to the site of the huge explosion caused when a stockpile of ammonium nitrate caught fire.

Khaled, 32, left his home in the city’s Al Watwat area immediately to go in search of his father, hoping to find him alive.

Waleed’s phone was not working and Khaled was forced to hunt through the debris while calling his name, uncovering several bodies as he looked.

His father later told him that it felt like the force of the explosion, which damaged much of the city, sent him about 30 metres into the air.

“I won’t forget this day and how God granted me the strength and patience to save my nearly dead father,” Khaled said.

The true scale of the disaster quickly became apparent when he reached the port.

Khaled said it was the most terrifying moment of his life when he arrived at the site of an explosion that killed at least 158 people.

More than 6,000 people were injured and hundreds of thousands made homeless. 

“I couldn’t believe what I saw. I kept running in search of my missing father, whose phone was disconnected, while calling his name,” Khaled said.

“I ran several miles around the harbour looking for him until I finally saw his wrecked car. Then I saw him under a pile of metal roofing, sand and rocks. I pulled him out alive.”

He was taking a nap when the first blast occurred and at first thought the noise was caused by a gas cylinder explosion in his family’s home, about 4 kilometres from the port.

Khaled jumped out of bed and rushed into the adjacent room to find his mother. Within seconds, the second blast erupted and all of the glass in the house smashed and furniture was scattered.

He knew his sister had gone to the mountains but when he heard where his father went earlier that day, Khaled said his legs buckled and his heart “literally broke”. 

He rushed to the port through roads that were blocked or covered in broken glass, rubble, damaged cars and bodies. 

“Initially they wouldn’t allow me in but I kept on shouting and yelling like crazy for my father,” Khaled said.

“I kept insisting because I wanted to save my father who was inside. I couldn’t wait for them to bring him outside. I fought with several of the officials until I made it inside.”

Khaled said he was sure his father was dead after finding bodies under piles of debris. 

“I cried and shouted my heart out to find him. I felt hopeless,” he said.

“Suddenly I spotted his car, bombed, damaged, torn apart. Nothing was left of it but dust and ash.

“That was when I was sure my father did not make it but I couldn’t stop searching.”

His efforts were rewarded when he heard his father calling for help.

“I kept shouting until I heard my dad screaming in pain," Khaled said. :I followed his voice until I found him busted under piles of rocks." 

He said it took him time to remove the rubble and free Waleed.

He waited for rescue teams to arrive and an ambulance rushed his father to American University of Beirut Medical Centre. 

Doctors said Waleed suffered a fractured hip among other injuries. He praised his son’s heroism and determination to find him. 

“I thank God and my brave son for pulling me out from the dead,” Waleed said.