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Teenager Crushed By Chimney In Napa Earthquake Speaks From Hospital Bed

NAPA (CBS SF) -- A teenager who was seriously injured in a magnitude 6.0 earthquake is telling his story from the hospital bed where he is recovering.

13-year old Nicholas Dillon was sleeping with friends in his living room when the earthquake began at 3:20 Sunday morning. The shaking brought down a brick fireplace on top of Nicholas, leaving him critically injured.

"I felt the first jolt of the earthquake, I spun around, I saw my friend. I yelled his name four times. I waited for him to back all the way up to the front of the couch. I wanted to make sure he was in front of the couch so he couldn't get hurt. I started crawling to get to the door. Just as I put my right knee on the floor, the chimney collapsed on my back," Nicholas said.

Covered in bricks, Nicholas tried to move, but couldn't.

EXTENDED COVERAGE:

"I thought I was paralyzed. For the first thirty seconds I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't feel my back," he said.

Doctors say Nicholas will be in a wheelchair for six months, but he's got other plans.

"Four months is my goal. I'm gonna push it," he said.

 

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