A 47-stone man who ‘hasn’t left his bed for six months’ had to be rescued from his flat by crane, after firefighters were unable to free him.
José María Fernández had not left his flat in Cadiz, Spain, for a year. He said he had been bed bound for the last six months.
Firefighters began attempting to move José from his bed on Wednesday. With ramps and stages borrowed from a local entertainment firm, they were able to build a structure to move him to his balcony.
However the 17-strong crew were unable to move him from his flat so emergency services nowbrought in a crane to help lift José into an ambulance.
The 49-year-old’s story came to light three months ago, when he issued a plea for help in a bid to get an operation to help him lose weight. Speaking to La Voz De Cadiz, he said: “I need someone to help me get out of bed and live a normal life… find a doctor who can operate on me.
“The public health system is very slow. There are many cases… I can’t live like this. I’m 49 years old and I need to live.”
José suffers from elephantiasis – a hardening of tissue – in his left foot, which has kept him bedridden for months. He previously admitted that the operation to move his 47-stone frame would not be easy.
He admits he cannot even move to use the toilet, suffering a fall the last time he attempted to to go the loo. Instead, he has adult nappies so that he can change himself. Instead of a shower, he has to use a basin to wash himself.
But he has been working hard, for a number of months, in order to get to a condition in which he can undergo the operation. He has shed almost eight stone, giving him another 17 until he can under the knife.
However, his left foot alone weighs almost 16st 12lb, meaning doctors need to treat that before moving forward. José hopes he will be able to move around independently after his operation.
Yesterday (July 18), fire crews were successfully able to move José out of his flat, sliding him to the balcony where he was met with a special strecher designed to take his weight.
He was then taken to hospital in a specialist ambulance. Speaking to Antena 3, he said: “I haven’t felt this happy in a very long time.”
Fire brigade chief Ignacio Pérez Prado hailed the mission a success. He said: “We have never done anything like this before, it was also a challenge for us and we learnt a lot.”
