FAMILY AND friends of JJ O’Connor, a 40-year-old Kerry accountant believed to have been working in the Pyne Gould Guinness building on Tuesday when it collapsed in the New Zealand earthquake, spoke yesterday of waiting by the telephone for news.
The family, living in Lissereen, north of Abbeydorney near Tralee, said media reports that Mr O’Connor had been in contact with rescuers while trapped in the building had greatly upset them. The reports were later disowned by police in Christchurch.
Mr O’Connor moved to New Zealand with his New Zealand-born wife, Sarah, last September to take up work.
They have a two-year-old son and another child is expected in May. The couple met 10 years ago in London and Mr O’Connor had previously lived in New Zealand for a period.
The family holidayed in Abbeydorney in September before moving to Christchurch.
Yesterday, Mr O’Connor’s uncle Denis said the family was due to return in July for the wedding of another member of the family.
A camera probe sent into the collapsed building two days ago found no indication of survivors.
The family was told heavy machinery had now begun work on the building, Mr O’Connor said. “A miracle is the only hope now,” he said.
Relations of the family living nearby spoke yesterday of “waiting by the phone” and said they were in touch with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with contacts in New Zealand.
Foreign rescue crews helping search for survivors in Christchurch say people could still be retrieved alive from the rubble. Rescue teams from seven countries are in the city.
“Survivors can stay alive quite a time in a collapsed building,” said captain Bryan Wells of the Los Angeles fire department, whose team arrived in Christchurch yesterday morning.
“In Haiti we were able to find victims five, six, seven days after the earthquake.”
