KITCHENER -- A New Hamburg man said he's grateful to be alive after he was pulled from the rubble of a deadly building collapse in London.
Travis Jaklitsch was released from hospital this week and is recovering at home, but he has a long road to recovery.
"I'm just happy to be home and to do the things I never thought I would be able to do again," Jaklitsch said.
He said he's still processing the horrific moments of the building collapse at a London construction site.
"I was getting ready to leave and all I heard was, it sounded like a big train," he said. "Just a really loud, scary sound and I knew something wasn't right."
The third floor where he was working collapsed beneath his feet.
"I could feel myself going through each floor," Jaklitsch said. "It was almost an out-of-body experience, if I could describe it. I was at peace because I thought I was gone."
It was supposed to be his last day on the job, providing HVAC services for the site.
"Next thing I know, you're stuck under rubble and just praying that you will be found," Jaklitsch said.
He said nearby workers and first responders came to the rescue.
"It was one of the greatest moments of my life," he said. "You didn't know if you were going to be found. You didn't know if something was going to cave more in on you."
The 35-year-old suffered a broken fibula and ankle, along with fractures to his spine, neck and ribs. He also has concrete burns on his back and face.
"His eyes were so filled with concrete,' his wife, Kaitlin, said. "They were flushing his eyes constantly. I was so worried he wasn't going to have vision."
The couple is taking it one day at a time and don't know how long it will take Jaklitsch to recover.
"I'm so happy to be able to talk and to thank everybody and to just see family again and to have a new outlook on life," he said.
Two people were killed when the building collapsed and five others were injured.
