Child rescued by helicopter in Baracoa shows promising prospects for recovery after Hurricane Oscar

After harrowing ordeal during Hurricane Oscar, six-year-old Yodelmis Furones Matoswho suffered a head injury when a tree fell on his home shows significant improvement after being airlifted for medical treatment. Guantánamo public broadcaster Primada Visión shared the positive news on social media, highlighting Yodelmis’ recovery after surgery at Guantánamo Dr. Hospital. Children’s Hospital Antonio Maria Begues Cesar in Santiago de Cuba.

“Currently extubated and showing clear signs of recovery, young Guantanamo Bay native Yodelmis Furones Matos remains in the intensive care unit,” the broadcaster reported. Dr. Zaida Maria Leon Castellanos, the hospital’s deputy director of surgery, confirmed that Yodelmis is “stable, awake, alert, oriented and eating.”

The doctor added: “There are no neurological or clinical complications so far.” Earlier, hospital director Jesus Cabrera said that after the operation on October 22, the child was on a ventilator.

Emergency air transport during a natural disaster

Initially in critical condition, Yodelmis was evacuated by a Cuban Air Force helicopter, accompanied by a multidisciplinary medical team, from Baracoa’s Octavio Concepción y de la Pedraja Hospital to the Children’s Hospital in Santiago de Cuba. The operation was complicated by rock slides caused by the hurricane, which tore apart the La Farola Viaduct, isolating Baracoa from the provincial capital and making travel by land impossible.

Oscar’s arrival added to the chaos as it followed the collapse of the nation’s power grid, causing widespread destruction and requiring numerous other rescue efforts for the wounded and displaced. One such rescue operation included Daniel Gonzalez HernandezA 12-year-old boy rescued from a flood in San Antonio del Sur, Guantanamo Bay.

Additional rescue operations and current problems

The young Makambo man suffered a severe leg injury and successfully underwent necrotomy, a procedure to remove dead tissue and prevent infections that could lead to permanent deformities. Despite heroic efforts, the hurricane caused extensive property damage and resulted in the deaths of at least seven people, according to official statements. However, numerous social media accounts of victims and their families suggest the death toll could be higher.