The ground began to roar without warning.

Inside the former Billabong building in Port Vila, David Nambo was doing small construction work, focused on his task, when the earthquake struck. In seconds, the floor shook violently, walls cracked, and the sound of collapsing concrete filled the air.

“I didn’t even have time to run,” David said.

The building started to fall in on itself. Blocks, timber and dust crashed down around him, plunging everything into darkness. Trapped beneath the rubble, David thought his life was over.

“It was completely dark,” he recalled. “I couldn’t see anything. I was just praying.”

Then, through the dust and broken concrete, he noticed something small light above him. It was the only thing he could see.

“That light gave me hope,” he said. “I told myself, if I can reach it, maybe I can live.”

With what strength he had left, David pushed upward, forcing his body through broken blocks and fallen debris. Every movement was painful. The building continued to groan as aftershocks shook the ruins.

As he struggled to escape, David heard a sound that still stays with him , the cry of a young boy trapped somewhere behind him.

“I could hear him screaming,” David said softly. “I wanted to help him, but the blocks were too heavy. I couldn’t reach him.”

With no rescue teams yet inside the collapsed building, David pulled out his mobile phone and used its torch to guide his way. Inch by inch, he followed the small light, crawling through the wreckage until he finally broke through.

David Nambo was one of the first people to come out alive from the Billabong building.

Outside, chaos filled the streets. Buildings lay in ruins. People cried, screamed and searched desperately for loved ones. Covered in dust and shaken, David could only say a few words.

“I am okay,” he told those around him. “I thank the Lord for my life.”

Police and rescue teams arrived soon after, continuing the search for others trapped beneath the rubble.

Today, one year after the devastating 2024 earthquake, David’s story remains a reminder of the fear felt that day , and of the hope that refused to die. In the middle of darkness, it was a small light that led him back to life.